'Any time, any place': Rahul Gandhi renews debate challenge to PM Modi over 'Dimagi Naxals' remark

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday renewed his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a public debate on who is "anti-national" and who is "controlled by foreign forces", a day after PM Modi warned security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bastar about what he called 'Dimagi Naxals'.

Rahul Gandhi challenges PM Modi to open debate

In a post on X addressed to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that the personnel listening to the Prime Minister's speech did not believe his assertions.

"Dear @crpfindia, Your faces said it all: you didn't buy the PM's lies. He called us Naxals. My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place. My guarantee: after the debate, the PM won't have the guts to stand in front of a single jawan again," he wrote.

Dear @crpfindia, Your faces said it all: you didn't buy the PM's lies. He called us Naxals. My challenge stands. Let him debate me on who is anti-national and who is controlled by foreign forces. Any time, any place. My guarantee: after the debate, the PM won't have the guts to stand in front of a single jawan again. प्रिय @crpfindia के जवानों, आपके चेहरों ने सब बता दिया - आपको प्रधानमंत्री के झूठ पर भरोसा नहीं। उन्होंने हमें नक्सली कहा। मेरी चुनौती क़ायम है। वो मुझसे बहस करें - देशद्रोही कौन है और विदेशी ताक़तों के इशारे पर कौन चल रहा है। कोई भी समय, किसी भी जगह। मेरी गारंटी: उस बहस के बाद प्रधानमंत्री में एक भी जवान के सामने खड़े होने की हिम्मत नहीं होगी।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 9, 2026

The post followed PM Modi's visit on Sunday to a CoBRA operations base at Karanpur in Bastar, where he celebrated Diwali with security personnel involved in the campaign against Maoist insurgents.

What PM Modi said about 'Dimagi Naxals' in Bastar

In his address, PM Modi said the defeat of armed Naxal groups did not mean the threat was over.

"We must remember one thing. Naxalites have been eliminated, but the threat is not yet over. While armed Naxalites have been wiped out from the forests, 'Dimagi Naxals' have taken control of several organisations," he said.

PM Modi also described this year's Diwali as the first after what he called the country's victory over the decades-long Maoist insurgency. He said every district had become free of Naxalism and credited security personnel with the government's gains against armed groups.

Bastar was among the regions worst affected by the insurgency. PM Modi also spoke about security operations and government programmes in formerly affected areas, including the construction of roads, installation of mobile towers and opening of schools and training centres.

Congress criticises Modi as debate challenge continues

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had objected to the PM Modi's remarks a day earlier. He accused PM Modi of attacking political opponents while addressing security personnel during Diwali celebrations, describing the speech as "a brazen assault on all institutional norms".

Earlier, PM Modi had also used the expression 'Dimagi Naxals' in his Independence Day address in August, warning that supporters of armed Maoist groups could continue to promote violence even after their organisations had been weakened.

Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly demanded a face-to-face debate with PM Modi since the beginning of November. On November 3, he posted a poll on X asking whether young people wanted to see the two leaders debate in public.

BJP leaders have criticised the demand. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Parliament already provides a forum for debate and urged Gandhi to take his role as Leader of the Opposition seriously.

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