Bhubaneswar, March 30: Senior leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmita Patra has resigned from the parliamentary standing committee on communications and IT, chaired by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. This decision comes in response to Dubey’s recent allegedly derogatory remarks about Biju Patnaik.
In a letter addressed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Patra stated, “In protest, and as a matter of principle, I am resigning from the parliamentary standing committee on communications and IT chaired by Nishikant Dubey. I cannot continue to work under someone who makes derogatory comments about the late Biju Patnaik, as he did in a public statement today.”
Patra also requested the Rajya Sabha Chairman to accept her resignation and forward it to the Lok Sabha Speaker, as the committee operates under the Lok Sabha.
On her ‘X’ handle, Patra expressed deep shock and sadness over Dubey’s statement, labeling the comments as defamatory, false, and irresponsible accusations against Biju Patnaik. She emphasized that Patnaik was a great freedom fighter, a visionary leader, and a son of the soil whose contributions to nation-building are undisputed.
She further stated, “Such attempts to distort history and tarnish the reputation of an esteemed leader for political gain are unacceptable and condemnable.”
Describing the former Chief Minister of Odisha as a national symbol, the BJD leader asserted that Biju Patnaik’s legacy will always transcend petty politics.
Meanwhile, several other BJD leaders have also strongly condemned Dubey’s remarks against the former Chief Minister. BJD MP Subhashis Khuntia stated, “I vehemently condemn the grossly irresponsible comments made by Nishikant Dubey against the great Biju Patnaik. These baseless and thoughtless statements are a severe insult to a great freedom fighter and a symbol of pride and valor for Odisha and the entire nation.”
It is noteworthy that on March 27, while speaking to reporters, Dubey claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru fought the 1962 China war with American support and the assistance of CIA agents, while Biju Patnaik, who was the Chief Minister of Odisha at the time, acted as a link between the U.S. government, the CIA, and Nehru.
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