New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party MP in the Lok Sabha Nishikant Dubey has come under criticism from both inside and outside his party on Monday over his remarks against former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik, who he alleged acted as a link between the CIA and former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru during the 1962 war with China.The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha on Monday in protest against Dubey’s remarks, a day after Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra resigned as a member of the standing committee on IT and communications, headed by Dubey on Sunday (March 30). Also, on Monday, Dubey’s party colleague in the Lok Sabha, Baijayant Panda, without naming him, said that casting aspersions on Patnaik’s patriotism was “fantastical and patently ludicrous”.In Odisha, former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said that Dubey needs “some mental doctor’s attention for saying such outrageous things”. Dubey however, doubled down on his remarks and said he did not need anyone’s certificate while claiming that Patnaik would continue to be respected.On March 27, Dubey had alleged that Nehru fought the 1962 war with China on 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. Even the officials were aware of this. I have released two letters from Nehru today in which he is telling his officials, especially the US ambassador, to do their job. We have sent Biju Patnaik for a major task, and he is discussing defense matters,” he said outside parliament.On Monday morning, Patra announced in the Rajya Sabha that members of the BJD are staging a protest against the “false remarks” made by Dubey.“The Biju Janata Dal does not disturb the House but today we want to place on record our serious protest against the disparaging, false and concocted statements made by MP Nishikant Dubey against Biju Patnaik. He has called Biju Patnaik him a CIA agent. This is the level to which the ruling party has fallen. The Biju Janata Dal strongly opposes this and in protest we are walking out,” said Patra.In Bhubaneshwar, former chief minister Naveen Patnaik said that Dubey needs medical attention and condemned his statement.“I was surprised to hear the outrageous things said about Biju Babu. I don’t think he knows that prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had given him an office next to his in Delhi while he was still chief minister of Odisha to help with strategy during the Chinese conflict,” said Patnaik about his father.“I was about 13 years old then, but I remember how furious Biju Babu was with the Chinese attack and how much he did to repel it. I think the MP needs some mental doctor’s attention for making such outrageous remarks.”While Dubey doubled down on his remarks on Monday morning, adding that he had the utmost respect for Biju Patnaik, in the evening, his party colleague Panda issued a strong statement, without naming Dubey. In a statement, Panda said that Patnaik was “among the leading lights of the nation”.“His heroic missions, diplomatic & defence initiatives all contributed to strengthening our fledgling republic. Casting aspersions on his patriotism is fantastical & patently ludicrous. Such attacks on him are unworthy, uninformed, & totally unacceptable,” he said on X.Dubey, however, said that he was only exposing the Nehru-Gandhi family. “Biju Patnaik was a tall freedom fighter, and the BJP showed full respect to him. When Congress did injustice, Jan Sangh and BJP stood by him. I repeat that I am releasing a series on the acts of the Nehru-Gandhi family,” he said.“If anyone is hurt by what I have written in my tweets, then I can only try to make them understand,” he said.Earlier on Sunday, Patra resigned as a member of the standing committee on information technology and communication headed by Dubey, and said that this is what “Odia Asmita” is for the BJP, which insults a statesman like Patnaik.“Biju Babu was an international stalwart, a legend and a statesman. He was known widely to have been playing a pivotal role in ensuring global diplomacy for India. He was widely respected for his role in rescuing the Indonesian resistance and freedom fighters. He was known for his role in supporting the Russians during the Second World War,” he said.“He was respected for his role during the freedom movement. He is someone who always had a great and tremendous international standing and used to always be at the service of motherland India at an international and global scale. But to link him to certain disparaging references and the way the statement was made is extremely unfortunate.”