The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as education minister has triggered an unexpected controversy within the BJP in Odisha after a social media post by the daughter of Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi drew criticism from party leaders.
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In another social media post, Rahar reportedly wrote, “Also, to DP’s PA who is sure to text my mother asking me to delete my previous story (it has happened before) — Don’t bother. I won’t delete. Jai Jagannath! Jai Hind.”
Hours after the controversy gathered attention, Aparajita Sarangi posted a message on X expressing support for Dharmendra Pradhan following his resignation.
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She wrote:”Sri @dpradhanbjp ji has tendered his resignation today. Resigning after owning moral responsibility calls for a lot of courage. I stand by him in this very difficult time. I wish for him the best for the days to come. May Lord Jagannath shower HIS Blessings upon him.”
Several BJP leaders in Odisha openly objected to Rahar’s social media posts.
Jagannath Pradhan, who contested the 2024 Assembly election from Bhubaneswar Central on a BJP ticket but lost, said, “Pradhan is son of the soil. His resignation has hurt us. Odias have welcomed the daughter of Bihar (Aparajita) and made her MP twice.”
He further said, “Sarangi should have control over her family members. She should tender an apology to Odisha for her daughter making adverse remarks against Pradhan. As an educated person, the MP’s daughter should not make such statements against Pradhan, who had immense contributions to Odisha and India.”
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“Everyone has the right to express their views. Her daughter, who is from Gen Z, said she stands by her statement. She has the right to speak her mind,” the MP’s office assistant Dhaneswar Barik told news agency PTI over phone.
Another senior BJP leader also criticised the development, saying, “The BJP is a family and all the members should stand by the other when he or she is in trouble. Sarangi’s daughter going against a party leader is not acceptable in a disciplined party like the BJP.”
A protest in Assam’s Guwahati over alleged examination irregularities and the demand for Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation took a political turn after Dibisa, the daughter of Assam revenue and disaster management minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Keshab Mahanta, joined the demonstration.
Videos purportedly showing Dibisa participating in the protest and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while demanding Pradhan’s resignation have been widely shared on social media.
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Archita Sachin Rahar, Sarangi’s daughter, shared an Instagram story referring to Pradhan’s resignation following the NEET paper leak controversy. The post quickly became a talking point within political circles and on social media, with several BJP leaders in the state expressing displeasure over her remarks. However, her Instagram account no longer appears in search results on the platform. A report said that her account has been ‘taken down’. However, HT could not independently verify the claim.
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Rahar’s Instagram Story reportedly featured a photograph of Dharmendra Pradhan against the backdrop of the national flag, accompanied by the message: “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid massive student protests over the NEET leak fiasco,” according to posts shared on social media.
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While the post was criticised by sections of the BJP, her mother’s office maintained that Rahar was expressing her personal opinion.
Sarangi asked her daughter to remove the Instagram story after receiving a phone call from Pradhan’s office. However, the effort reportedly did not change Rahar’s position, sources told PTI.
Also read | ‘No hero’ to ‘Just a trailer’: How faces of the CJP movement reacted to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
