New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- Congress slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Saturday, dismissing his warnings against "dimagi naxals" (ideological Naxals) as hollow political rhetoric while fiercely defending its historical legacy regarding India's national song, Vande Mataram.

Reacting to PM Modi's call to identify and isolate "dimagi naxals" who threaten the country's progress, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated that the term carries no real substance, drawing a parallel to previous debates surrounding the phrase "urban naxal."

Ramesh pointed out that when the government previously labelled political opponents as "urban naxals," Union Home Minister Amit Shah had to clar...