Bhubaneswar: BJD president Naveen Patnaik Wednesday termed the alleged police action against students and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi as “shocking” and reiterated his party’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak issue.
Responding to Patnaik, BJP MPs from Odisha accused the former Chief Minister of “siding with the Cockroach Janata Party” and reminded him of alleged irregularities in examinations during his 24-year tenure in the state.
Speaking to reporters after returning from a week-long visit to New Delhi, Patnaik also extended support to the ongoing students’ agitation.
“Everyone is deeply shocked by the unnecessary violence of the police on young students. Not only the students, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament and many other senior politicians were treated very roughly by the police. This is shocking,” he said.
Patnaik said examination-related irregularities had become a major issue across the country.
“As you know, the entire country is asking for his (Pradhan’s) resignation. The demand is being made not only in India, but outside our embassies in foreign countries as well,” he said.
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Referring to the students’ agitation, Patnaik said he had already expressed his views during his stay in Delhi.
“The agitation is across the country over what has happened to young students. This has shocked the entire nation. We have been in agitation, and we will hold agitations in Odisha as well,” he said.
On Pradhan’s resignation, Patnaik said, “The entire country is asking for his resignation after what has happened to the students. He should resign.”
During his Delhi visit, Patnaik met BJD MPs to discuss the developments following the clash between protesters and police.
A party delegation led by Rajya Sabha MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj also visited injured students at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and assured them of the party’s support.
The BJD has also demanded a special discussion in Parliament on the alleged police action against students.
Reacting to Patnaik’s remarks, a group of BJP MPs from Odisha, led by senior parliamentarian Bhartruhari Mahtab, criticised the BJD chief.
“The former chief minister has stooped to a new low by siding with the Cockroach Janata Party. His statement was not based on facts,” Mahtab told reporters.
He alleged that several examination-related irregularities had taken place in Odisha between 2015 and 2024 during the BJD government.
“Patnaik should not take the people of Odisha so lightly,” Mahtab said.
Referring to the protests in Delhi, Mahtab said everyone had the right to express an opinion in a democracy, but “one cannot cross security barricades, enter prohibited areas and try to breach the Parliament complex”.
He also claimed that the NEET paper leak issue had been addressed through a re-examination and said similar paper leak incidents had occurred during the UPA government.
“Patnaik’s statement is in no way acceptable. He must refrain from making such remarks,” Mahtab said.
Mahtab, a seven-time MP (including 6 times as a BJD candidate) and a founding member of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, had joined the saffron party in 2024 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kataka.
