BJD criticises Narendra Modi for comments on Biju Patnaik

The BJD on Thursday claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru had chosen Biju Patnaik as the defence minister but could not go ahead because of opposition from leaders in Gujarat and Maharashtra and so there was no point in Narendra Modi referring to the legendary Odisha leader

damodar rout

Bhubaneswar: The BJD on Thursday claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru had chosen Biju Patnaik as the defence minister but could not go ahead because of opposition from leaders in Gujarat and Maharashtra and so there was no point in Narendra Modi referring to the legendary Odisha leader.

"The Gujarat Chief Minister's words about Biju Patnaik are meaningless. Nehru wanted to make Biju 'babu' the defence minister in 1962. But the move was stalled by leaders from Gujarat and Maharashtra," Odisha health minister Damodar Rout, who also happens to be BJD's vice-president, said in the Assembly.