A social media post by Archita Sachin Rahar, daughter of Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, has upset many BJP workers in Odisha.
The post appeared to celebrate the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister.
What the post said
Rahar shared a photo of Pradhan against the backdrop of the national flag on Instagram, along with the caption, “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid massive student protests over NEET leak fiasco.”
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Her mother’s response was very different. State BJP leaders, including Sarangi herself, expressed sympathy for Pradhan.
MP’s office responds
When asked about the post, the MP’s office assistant Dhaneswar Barik told PTI over phone, “Everyone has the right to express their views. Her daughter, who is from Gen Z, said she stands by her statement. She has the right to speak her mind.”
When asked if the post could cause trouble for the MP, Barik said, “Only time will tell.”
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Sarangi herself was not available for comment.
Daughter refuses to delete the post
According to sources, Sarangi asked her daughter to take down the post after receiving a call from Pradhan’s office. But Rahar did not agree to remove it.
In a follow up post, she wrote, “Also, to DP’s PA who is sure to text my mother asking me to delete my previous story (it has happened before) — Don’t bother. I won’t delete. Jai Jagannath! Jai Hind.”
Mother stands by Pradhan
After her daughter’s firm stand, Aparajita Sarangi posted on X on Saturday night in support of Pradhan. She wrote, “Sri @dpradhanbjp ji has tendered his resignation today. Resigning after owning moral responsibility calls for a lot of courage. I stand by him in this very difficult time. I wish for him the best for the days to come. May Lord Jagannath shower HIS Blessings upon him.”
Sri @dpradhanbjp ji has tendered his resignation today.
— Aparajita Sarangi, MP,( Lok Sabha) Bhubaneswar (@AprajitaSarangi) July 25, 2026
Resigning after owning moral responsibility calls for a lot of courage.
I stand by him in this very difficult time.
I wish for him the best for the days to come.
May Lord Jagannath shower HIS Blessings upon him.
BJP leaders criticise the post
Several BJP leaders in Odisha spoke out against Rahar’s post.
Jagannath Pradhan, a BJP candidate who lost the 2024 polls from the Bhubaneswar Central assembly seat, said, “Pradhan is son of the soil. His resignation has hurt us. Odias have welcomed the daughter of Bihar (Aparajita) and made her MP twice.”
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He further said, “Sarangi should have control over her family members. She should tender an apology to Odisha for her daughter making adverse remarks against Pradhan. As an educated person, the MP’s daughter should not make such statements against Pradhan, who had immense contributions to Odisha and India.”
Another senior leader added, “The BJP is a family and all the members should stand by the other when he or she is in trouble. Sarangi’s daughter going against a party leader is not acceptable in a disciplined party like the BJP.”
The episode has since become a widely discussed topic on social media.
FAQs
1: Who is Archita Sachin Rahar?
She is the daughter of Aparajita Sarangi, the two time BJP MP from Bhubaneswar.
2: What did she post that caused the controversy?
She shared an Instagram post with a photo of Dharmendra Pradhan against the national flag, along with the caption, “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid massive student protests over NEET leak fiasco.”
