Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched a sharp attack on BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, describing his recent comments about Biju Patnaik as “outrageous” and suggesting the lawmaker requires medical attention from a mental health professional.
Speaking to the media, Naveen strongly defended his father’s legacy while recalling Biju Patnaik’s role during the 1962 India-China war. “Nishikant Dubey said something about Biju Babu. I don’t think he knows that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had put an office next to his in Delhi while Biju Babu was still the Chief Minister of Odisha to do the tactics and fight the Chinese… I think Nishikant Dubey needs some mental doctor’s attention for saying these outrageous things,” he told reporters.
“I was very young at the time, about 13 years old, but I remember how furious Biju Babu was with the Chinese attack and how much he did to repel it,” he added.
The controversy erupted following Dubey’s remarks on March 27, in which he claimed that Nehru had fought the 1962 war with support from the United States and in coordination with CIA agents. Dubey further alleged that Biju Patnaik had served as a link between the US government, the CIA, and Nehru during the conflict.
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The statements drew strong backlash from the BJD. Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha members Sasmit Patra resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, which is chaired by Nishikant Dubey, in protest against what he called “outrageous, false and irresponsible insinuations” against Biju Patnaik. He accused Dubey of attempting to “distort history and malign a revered leader for political narratives.”
Sasmit also raised the issue in Rajya Sabha on Monday, strongly condemning his remarks. The BJD MPs protested inside the Upper House and then staged a walk out over the issue.
BJD leaders and supporters in Odisha had earlier strongly condemned the remarks, viewing them as an insult to “Odia Asmita” (Odia pride) and a national icon known for his contributions, including piloting aircraft during the 1947 Kashmir operations and aiding the Soviet Union against the Nazis in World War II.
