‘Under-confident, shaky, nervous’: PM Modi's speech fumble, ‘dimaagi Naxal’ dig trigger Oppn attack, Congress reacts

Sharing the part of the video on social media, Congress leader Pawan Khera wrote, “Superhuman without teleprompter (Mahamanav bina teleprompter ke).”

Opposition leaders on Saturday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he appeared to fumble during his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, with Congress and AAP leaders sharing a clip of the moment and questioning his delivery.

PM Modi’s speech fumble, ‘dimaagi Naxal’ remark trigger Oppn attack; Congress reacts

Modi was talking about the progress made in India’s bioeconomy since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014 when he seemed to stutter during his Independence Day address and had to refer to his paper notes.

Sharing the part of the video on social media, Congress leader Pawan Khera wrote, “Superhuman without teleprompter (Mahamanav bina teleprompter ke).”

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also shared the clip, describing Modi as “An under-confident, nervous and shaky Prime Minister.”

The Opposition's criticism extended beyond the Prime Minister's delivery, with the Congress taking particular exception to his remarks on “dimagi Naxals” or ideological Naxals.

In his Independence Day speech, Modi said that while armed Maoist violence was “breathing its last”, an ideological Naxal mindset continued to exist in some institutions. He called on people and authorities to “identify and isolate” those he described as “dimagi Naxals”, alleging that such forces could push young people towards anarchy.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh dismissed the term as political rhetoric, drawing a comparison with the BJP government's earlier use of the phrase “urban Naxal”.

"Two or three years ago, he (PM Modi) called his political opponents 'Urban Naxals'; at that time, the question arose in Parliament as to what the definition of 'Urban Naxal' was. The Home Minister replied that there is no such thing as an 'Urban Naxal,' nor is there any definition for it. Today, the Prime Minister is using the term 'Mental Naxal' (ideological Naxal) for his political opponents from the Red Fort," Jairam Ramesh said.

Ramesh also accused the government of first attacking critics for raising certain issues and later adopting the same demands. “He had dismissed the idea of a caste census as 'Urban Naxal' thinking, yet a year ago, he announced a caste-based census.”

"Even after 12 years, there was nothing new in his political speech," the Congress leader said.

Delimitation pitch draws Congress ire

The Congress also criticised Modi's remarks on women's reservation, accusing the government of making a “dishonest pitch” while pointing to the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and the proposed delimitation exercise.

Ramesh said the Parliament had unanimously passed the women's reservation law in September 2023, but alleged that the Modi government deliberately delayed its implementation.

"He should know that the Parliament unanimously passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in September 2023 - but it was the double-faced hypocrisy of the Modi Government that made sure it won’t come into effect from the 2024 elections itself. The Adhiniyam was only notified hastily and silently late in the evening on April 16, 2026."

He further credited the Congress and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi with laying the groundwork for women's political representation through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.