TNI Bureau: In a sharp rebuttal to Debasish Samantaray’s veiled criticism of VK Pandian, four BJD Rajya Sabha MP Manas Mangaraj, Sulata Deo, Niranjan Bisi, and Subhasish Khuntia came out in strong defence of the former bureaucrat on Monday.

The MPs refuted allegations that Pandian influenced the party’s stance on the Waqf Amendment Bill, asserting that all decisions were made under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik.

Mangaraj, in particular, condemned Samantaray’s remarks as “misguided” and accused him of attempting to malign Pandian despite his retirement from politics. The MPs urged that internal concerns be addressed through party forums, not media statements.

The statement marks a visible split in the party, even as dissent continues to grow over the handling of the controversial Bill in the Rajya Sabha.