BJD MPs stage walkout in Rajya Sabha over Nishikant Dubey's remarks on Biju Patnaik

The BJP lawmaker had accused the former Odisha Chief Minister of being a "CIA agent."

New Delhi: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs on Monday (March 30) walked out of Rajya Sabha in protest against BJP's Nishikant Dubey accusing former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik as a "CIA agent", days after its floor leader Sasmit Patra quit the Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by the controversial lawmaker.

Raising the issue in the Upper House during Zero Hour, Patra said he wanted to place on record a "serious protest" against the "disparaging, false and concocted" statement made by Dubey against Patnaik.

"This is the level to which the ruling party has fallen...This is utterly shameful. BJD strongly opposes it and in protest, we are walking out," he said.

Dubey defended himself on Monday, saying Patnaik was a tall freedom fighter who was respected and will remain so.

"BJP showed full respect to him. When the Congress did injustice with him, Jan Sangh and BJP stood by him. I repeat that I am releasing a series on the acts of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Tell me, which allegation did I level at Patnaik in my tweet?...I do not need anyone's certificate," he said

Patra had on Saturday resigned from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology headed by Dubey.

In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday, Patra said, "in protest, and as a matter of principle, I am resigning from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT under the chairmanship of Shri Nishikant Dubey. I can't, in good conscience, continue to serve under someone who makes disrespectful remarks about the late Shri Biju Patnaik-ji as he did in a public statement."

He urged the Chairman to accept his resignation and forward it to the Lok Sabha Speaker, as the committee is under the Lok Sabha.

Dubey claimed last week, "America had sent its troops and CIA agents to Tibet, fearing that China would one day take over Tibet. The Dalai Lama and his brother were in constant contact with the US government. 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."

He also alleged that Odisha's Charbatia airport, in which Biju Patnaik was heavily involved, was a base for U2 aircraft and the airbase housed US military from 1963 to 1979.

Outside the House, Patra said he was "deeply shocked" by the "outrageous, false and irresponsible insinuations" made against Patnaik, who is a "towering freedom fighter, visionary leader and son of the soil whose contribution to the nation is beyond question".

"Such attempts to distort history and malign a revered leader for political narratives are unacceptable and condemnable. Biju Patnaik is widely known for having played a pivotal role in India's diplomacy. He was respected for his role in rescuing Indonesian freedom fighters. He was known for his role in supporting the Russians during the Second World War," he added.