BJD’s Sasmit Patra Quits Parliamentary Panel To Protest BJP MP’s Remarks Against Biju Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra on Sunday resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT to protest against “disrespectful remarks” about former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik by Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey.

Patra, who has sent his resignation to the Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, wrote in the letter that he cannot continue to serve under Dubey, who happens to be chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT.

“In protest, and as a matter of principle, I am resigning from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT under the Chairmanship of Nishikant Dubey. I cannot, in good conscience, continue to serve under someone who makes disrespectful remarks about Late Biju Patnaik,” Patra stated.

Dubey earlier claimed that freedom fighter and former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik served as a “link” between the US government, the CIA and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Patnaik, after whom the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is named, is held in high esteem in Odisha. He served as chief minister twice — from 1961 to 1963 and 1990 to 1995.

“America sent its troops and CIA agents to Tibet, knowing that China would one day take over Tibet. The Dalai Lama and his brother were in constant contact with the US government. Nehru fought the entire 1962 war with China with American money and in collaboration with CIA agents. Biju Patnaik, the then Chief Minister of Odisha, was a link between the US government, the CIA, and Nehru. Even the officials were aware of this,” Nishikant said earlier in the day.

“I have released two letters from Nehru today, in which he is telling his officials, especially the US ambassador, to do their job. We have sent Biju Patnaik for a major task, and he is discussing defense matters. Even after losing the China war in 1962, Nehruji didn’t find peace. And how did he surrender India’s interests?… In 1964, when Nehruji was alive, a nuclear device was installed at Nanda Devi, which still hasn’t been found. As a result, the entire Gangetic Terai region is still battling cancer. Secondly, the Charbatia airport in Odisha, where Biju Patnaikji, who was heavily involved, built a large U2 spy plane, a U2 base, and made Charbatia the base for the U2 aircraft. And that aircraft base housed the US military in India from 1963 to 1979. Congress could never have perpetrated a more democratic attack than this in its lifetime. Therefore, Congress should apologise today,” Nishikant added.

Sasmit Patra expressed his shock at Dubey’s ‘false and irresponsible insinuations’ against Patnaik.

“Deeply shocked and anguished by the outrageous, false and irresponsible insinuations made against Biju Patnaik ji — a towering freedom fighter, visionary leader and son of the soil whose contribution to the nation is beyond question. Such attempts to distort history and malign a revered leader for political narratives are unacceptable and condemnable. The legacy of Biju Patnaik ji will always stand taller than petty politics,” Patra said in a social media post before submitting his resignation.