Prabhat Biswal Hits Back At Naveen After Joining BJP

A day after Naveen Patnaik publicly called Biswal a “traitor” for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the senior leader launched a sharp counter-attack, invoking Biswal’s characters. Mahabharata and warned that the BJD would “face the fate of the Kuru dynasty” if its leadership continued to ignore honest advice.

Talking to reporters, Biswal indirectly likened Naveen Patnaik to the blind king Dhritarashtra. MahabharataHe alleged that the BJD leadership had turned a deaf ear to well-intentioned lawyers.

“I am surprised that a leader like Naveen Babu chose to describe me this way. Dhritarashtra ignored Lord Krishna’s advice and as a result, the Kuru dynasty was destroyed. BJD will face the same fate if it continues on its current path without introspection,” Biswal said.

Denying the allegation that he had betrayed the party, Biswal maintained that he had always stood for “truth, honesty and integrity”.

“I have never betrayed anyone. Some conspirators ensured that I was sent to jail. Naveen Babu does not understand the truth. The pain and humiliation experienced by many senior leaders ultimately contributed to BJD’s defeat in the 2024 elections,” he said.

Biswal’s remarks came a day after Naveen Patnaik addressed party workers from Cuttack district at his residence Naveen Niwas, where he criticized the former MP for abandoning the party despite the support given to him in difficult times.

Patnaik said BJD stood firmly behind Biswal after his arrest in connection with the multi-crore fund scam and even nominated his son as the party candidate in the elections.

“Even though Prabhat Biswal was jailed in the provident fund case, the party supported him and later gave the election ticket to his son. But both the father and the son betrayed the trust placed in them,” Naveen said.

Biswal, a former BJD MLA and an influential leader from Cuttack district, recently joined the BJP in the presence of senior state leaders, marking yet another setback for the BJD, which has been trying to rebuild after its electoral defeat in 2024 since coming to power in 2000.

The latest verbal duel is seen by political observers as a reflection of the growing unrest following the BJD’s loss of power. Since the 2024 elections, many former ministers, legislators and senior officials have either left the party or openly expressed their dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and organizational functioning.