India, Aug. 15 -- Opposition leaders on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "dimagi Naxals" reference in his Independence Day address, accusing him of using labels to target dissent, while also tearing into his appeal to parties to implement women's reservation and questioning the linking of it with delimitation.

CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby stated that while his party opposes Naxalism, it accuses the government of violating the law and the Constitution in its handling of Maoists. He described the prime minister's reference to individuals with a "Naxal mentality" as an attempt to target the Opposition.

"Naxalism is a political perspective and approach with which we all fully disagree. We don't support the mod...