Kapil Sibal brands himself a “Dimagi Naxal” and warns of a constitutional crisis over horse trading

At a LiveLaw forum titled “Horse Trade and Democracy,” Kapil Sibal opened his remarks by confessing to being a “Dimagi Naxal,” a label popularised by Prime Minister Modi’s warnings about hidden subversives. He referenced P Chidambaram’s recent comment supporting the term and linked it to the broader issue of political horse trading. Sibal explained that in ancient times, horse sellers used tricks, whereas today the buyers—political actors—employ inducements to secure votes.

He characterised this practice as more than a scandal, calling it a constitutional crisis that strikes at the core of representative government and the sanctity of the vote. According to Sibal, such inducements range from cash and offices to protection from investigations, ultimately delivering power to a different mandate than the one chosen by citizens.