BJP MP Nishikant Dubey denies insult to Biju Patnaik following BJD protest

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, on Monday (March 30), following a strong backlash from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) over his alleged derogatory remark against former Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik, said that he had always respected the BJD icon and held him in high regard. He denied that he had said anything offensive against the late BJD leader.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Dubey alleged that when the Congress targeted Biju Patnaik, it was the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party that supported him.

‘No lack of respect for Biju Patnaik’

“There has never been any lack of respect for Biju Patnaik. When the Congress treated Biju Babu unjustly, it was the Jana Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party that stood by him. What I said that day, and what I repeat again today, is that I am running a continuous series exposing the deeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Congress," said Dubey.

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"What allegation did I make against Biju Babu? ...I was speaking about the actions of the Nehru family, and that is all I said. If anyone has been hurt by it, I can only try to explain my position to them,” he added.

Remarks widen into caste, region debate

Elaborating further, the BJP MP, known for his controversial remarks, said that the country’s biggest problem is the tendency to view people through the prism of region and caste, arguing that even great personalities have been reduced to narrow identities.

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"What is the biggest problem in this country? People divide everything based on region and caste. Even great personalities are pushed into such narrow categories. Was Biju Babu not a matter of pride for Bihar as well? In 1936–37, when Odisha was separated from Bihar, does that mean he is not a source of pride for Bihar too? For your information, Bidhan Chandra Roy, who became the first Chief Minister of Bengal, was born in Patna. He was Bihari," added Dubey.

BJD protest and walkout in Rajya Sabha

Earlier in the day, the BJD staged a walkout over what it described as offensive comments by Dubey against Biju Patnaik.

Soon after the listed business began, BJD leader Sasmit Patra rose to register what he termed a serious objection to Dubey’s “baseless and fabricated” claims about the late leader.

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Patra alleged that Dubey had gone so far as to brand Patnaik a CIA operative, calling it a new low for the ruling party. Terming the remarks disgraceful, he said the BJD was exiting the House in protest. He had also stepped down on March 28 from a parliamentary panel chaired by Dubey.

Row centres on Patnaik’s legacy and claims

Biju Patnaik, a former Odisha chief minister and freedom fighter, was known for high-risk missions, including aiding Indonesian leaders in 1947.

Dubey earlier claimed Patnaik acted as a conduit between Jawaharlal Nehru and the CIA. BJD chief Naveen Patnaik dismissed the remarks as absurd and troubling.

(With agency inputs)