- The remarks against the former Odisha were made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey
- BJD's Sasmit Patra said Dubey was maligning a "revered leader" for political gain
- Patra also announced that he was resigning from a parliamentary standing committee chaired by Dubey
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has been slammed by a fellow parliamentarian from the BJD for claiming that freedom fighter and former chief minister 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, served as the chief minister of Odisha twice, from 1961-1963 and 1990-1995. He is considered a legend in the state not only for his role in the freedom struggle but for flying an aircraft into Jakarta to rescue Indonesian independence leaders in 1947 and for participating in the Stalingrad Operation in World War II, flying supply missions for the Soviet Union.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Dubey, known for trawling sources for historical accounts to use as ammunition against the Nehru-Gandhi family, claimed, "Nehru fought the entire 1962 war against 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... I released two of Nehru's letters today, in which he is telling his officials, especially the then American ambassador, to do their job. Nehru told the officials the government had sent Patnaik (to the US) for important work and he is talking about defence matters."
The BJP MP said that, in 1963-64, a "nuclear device" was installed at Nanda Devi at the behest of the US, which has still not been found.
"Then there was the Charbatia air base in Odisha, in which Biju Patnaik ji was involved, built for U-2 spy planes. That aircraft base was used by the US between 1963 and 1979. The Congress could not have carried out a bigger attack on democracy than this. It should apologise," he added.
Hitting out at Dubey, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra said he was attempting to distort history and malign a "revered leader" for political gains.
"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," he wrote on X on Saturday.
Patra also announced that he was resigning as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, which is chaired by Dubey.
"I cannot, in good conscience, continue to serve under someone who makes such disrespectful remarks about a national icon... The legacy of Biju Patnaik ji will always stand taller than petty politics," he said.
