BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched a sharp attack on BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, saying he “needs the attention of a mental doctor” for making what he called “outrageous” remarks about his father, freedom fighter and former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik.
Speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, Naveen Patnaik rejected Dubey’s claim that Biju Patnaik acted as a link between former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the CIA during the 1962 India-China war.
“I am surprised to find the outrageous things that Dubey said about Biju Babu,” he said as reported by PTI, recalling that he was a teenager at the time of the war and witnessed his father’s strong response to the Chinese attack.
The remarks have triggered a political storm in Odisha, with leaders of the Biju Janata Dal accusing Dubey of distorting history for political purposes.
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Patra calls remarks ‘false’, quits panel
Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra also condemned Dubey’s statements, describing them as “outrageous, false and irresponsible insinuations” against a “revered leader”.
In a post on X, Patra said Biju Patnaik’s contribution to the nation was “beyond question” and accused the BJP MP of attempting to malign his legacy.
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.
— àà¼à àààà®à¿à¤ àªàà¤àà I Dr. Sasmit Patra (@sasmitpatra) March 28, 2026
Such attempts to distort history and malign a https://t.co/5uzOsGuL5F pic.twitter.com/yFTjNpRQ3p
Escalating the protest, Patra resigned from 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,” he said, adding that Biju Patnaik’s legacy would “always stand taller than petty politics”.
What triggered the controversy
The row began after Dubey alleged that Biju Patnaik acted as a “link” between the US government, the CIA, and Jawaharlal Nehru during the 1960s. He also claimed that India fought the 1962 war against China with American support and referred to the Charbatia air base in Odisha being used by US spy planes.
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The claims have been strongly rejected by BJD leaders, with several party MPs and senior figures demanding an apology and accusing Dubey of insulting a “patriot” and the “pride of Odisha”.
Biju Patnaik, after whom the BJD is named, remains a towering political figure in the state, known for his role in India’s freedom struggle and international operations such as aiding Indonesian independence in 1947.
