Bhubaneswar, March 30 Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grand nephew Chandra Kumar Bose and several BJP leaders on Monday criticised the saffron party MP, Nishikant Dubey, for claiming that former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik was the link between Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the CIA during the war against China in the 1960s.
The student and youth wings of the BJD, a party named after Patnaik, who is an iconic figure in Odisha, took to the streets here to protest the remark by the BJP MP.
In a post on X, Chandra Kumar Bose said a serious charge had been levelled against Biju Patnaik, and it must be condemned unequivocally.
He said that Patnaik was very close to the Bose family, particularly his father Amiya Nath Bose, a former Lok Sabha MP and an ex-Ambassador to Myanmar.
Both Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Biju Patnaik were born in Odisha’s Cuttack.
Bose said, "Little knowledge is a dangerous thing & public personalities must refrain from diabolical statements just to please their masters! Jai Hind!”
He tagged Biju Patnaik’s younger son, Naveen Patnaik, who is the BJD president and also a former chief minister.
Dubey’s comment on the Odisha icon also did not go down well with BJP leaders from the state.
BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda said Biju Patnaik's patriotism could never be questioned.
"Biju uncle was a towering personality, not just Odisha's tallest leader of his era, but among the leading lights of the nation. Most importantly, he was one of the greatest patriots of modern Bharat.
"National pride burned deep in his veins & he dedicated his life to liberating India & uplifting Odisha. He did that as a pilot, industrialist, political leader, & global trouble shooter," Panda said in a post on X.
"Casting aspersions on his patriotism is fantastical & patently ludicrous. Such attacks on him are unworthy, uninformed, & totally unacceptable," Panda said, without naming Dubey.
BJP leader and newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP Dilip Ray said Biju Patnaik’s life was a testament to courage, sacrifice, vision, and uncompromising patriotism.
Patnaik was not merely a towering leader of Odisha, but one of the rare nation-builders whose life and work left an indelible mark on India’s political and strategic history, Ray said in an X post.
"To reduce his extraordinary contribution to India and Odisha into loose and sensational political remarks is both unfair and deeply disrespectful. One may debate history, governments, or decisions taken in complex and difficult times — but no one has the right to question Biju Babu’s nationalist spirit, his integrity, or his unwavering commitment to India,” Ray said.
BJP Lok Sabha MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai asserted that Biju Patnaik was an icon.
“Dubey was presenting some old documents. The history should be reviewed in this case also," he said.
BJP MLA Babu Singh said that Biju Patnaik is an icon and he should be respected by all.
Another legislator of the saffron party, Babu Singh, also condemned Dubey's remarks.
"Biju Babu was not merely a people's leader; until his last breath, he was always devoted to serving Odisha and the Odia people. This incident has deeply hurt the sentiments of the general public across Odisha," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJD’s youth and student fronts staged a demonstration in Bhubaneswar and burnt effigies of the Dubey.
“We demand an unconditional apology from Duney for his insulting words against a true patriot,” said BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra.
Facing backlash, Dubey said he had spoken about the actions of the Nehru family and did not disrespect Biju Patnaik.
Patnaik, a two-time chief minister of Odisha (1961-63 and 1990-95), was a freedom fighter and aviator known for his role in daring missions, including flying to Jakarta in 1947 to rescue Indonesian independence leaders and participating in operations linked to the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II.