BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has offered an unconditional apology for his claim that former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik was the link between former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the CIA during the war against China in the 1960s.
The controversy began when Dubey made the remarks on March 27, leading to political tensions in the state and protests from the opposition, especially the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
Dubey said his comments about Nehru were 'mistakenly understood as being about Biju Babu' and apologized for any hurt caused to the former chief minister's sentiments.
He alleged that Nehru conducted the 1962 war against China with American assistance and coordination with the CIA, with Biju Patnaik acting as a link between the US government, the CIA, and Nehru.
The remark led to a row in Odisha, with the BJD staging a walkout from the Rajya Sabha over the disparaging remarks.
