In a post on X, Chidambaram took a jibe at the prime minister a day after his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, where he urged people and authorities to 'identify and isolate' those with a 'dimagi naxal' (ideological Naxal) mindset.
'I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!' he wrote on X.
On Saturday, Modi said government action since 2014 has largely ended the jungle insurgency that claimed over 3,500 security personnel.
But he alleged people with a 'Maoist mentality' earlier held positions in government committees and influenced policy.
Linking the call to the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the prime minister said the focus must be on keeping youth aligned with nation-building and warned that an ideological Naxal mindset still exists in institutions despite armed Maoist violence 'breathing its last'.
