MP daughter’s post exposes Odisha BJP tensions

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai

A viral Instagram post attributed to Archita Sachin Rahar, daughter of BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, has triggered anger within the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Odisha unit after appearing to celebrate Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister.
Screenshots circulating across social media show an Instagram story featuring Pradhan against the national flag and carrying the words: “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid massive student protests over NEET leak fiasco.” The post emerged after Pradhan stepped down on Saturday, July 25, following sustained demonstrations over alleged examination paper leaks and wider concerns about the credibility of the national testing system.

The Instagram account linked to Rahar later became unavailable, making it difficult to independently establish whether the material was posted exactly as presented in the circulating screenshots. However, statements from Sarangi’s office and reactions from BJP leaders indicate that the post was treated within the party as genuine.

The controversy intensified after another message attributed to Rahar appeared to reject a request to remove the story. The message suggested that an aide associated with Pradhan could contact her mother but that she would not delete the post. The defiant wording was interpreted by party workers as an endorsement of the student agitation and a public rebuke of one of Odisha’s most prominent BJP leaders.

Dhaneswar Barik, an assistant in Sarangi’s office, defended Rahar’s right to express her views. He described her as a member of Generation Z who stood by her statement and said every citizen had the right to speak freely. Asked whether the episode had placed the Bhubaneswar MP in a difficult position, he said its political consequences would become clearer with time.

Sarangi adopted a markedly different public position. She expressed support for Pradhan and praised his decision to accept moral responsibility for failures connected with the examination controversy. The contrasting responses of mother and daughter quickly became a focal point of online discussion and sharpened questions about personal expression, political discipline and generational differences within families linked to public office.

Several Odisha BJP figures criticised the post. Jagannath Pradhan, who contested the Bhubaneswar Central Assembly constituency for the party in 2024, said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation had caused pain among supporters because he was regarded as a son of the soil. His remarks also contained a pointed reference to Sarangi’s origins outside Odisha, exposing an undercurrent of factional and regional rivalry within the state organisation.

Dharmendra Pradhan, an MP from Sambalpur and a central figure in Odisha politics, resigned after weeks of demonstrations led by students and young activists. The agitation grew from allegations surrounding the NEET-UG examination and other testing failures into a broader movement demanding accountability, compensation for affected families and protection for protesters from legal action.

The Cockroach Janta Party, a youth-led movement that coordinated the demonstrations, ended its protest after the resignation and government assurances of systemic reform. Protesters had occupied Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, organised hunger strikes and mobilised supporters through digital platforms, placing sustained pressure on the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi subsequently announced a task force headed by technology entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to recommend changes to the examination system. The proposed overhaul is expected to focus on transparency, digital security and institutional accountability, while the government has also indicated that stronger legislation against paper leaks will be brought before Parliament.

The political impact has been particularly pronounced in Odisha, where Pradhan remains influential despite leaving the education portfolio. The BJP secured a decisive breakthrough in the state in the 2024 elections, ending the Biju Janata Dal’s long rule and expanding its parliamentary presence. Pradhan and Sarangi are both significant figures in the organisation, though they are perceived as representing separate centres of influence.

Party workers fear the social media dispute could amplify speculation about internal competition ahead of future organisational and electoral decisions. Supporters of Pradhan have portrayed the post as disrespectful to a leader who resigned under intense national pressure, while others have argued that the views of politicians’ adult family members should not automatically be treated as official party positions.

The episode also illustrates how personal accounts can produce immediate political consequences in an environment where screenshots are copied and redistributed before their origin or context can be fully verified. Rahar does not hold an elected post or an official BJP position, yet her relationship with a sitting MP transformed a short-lived social media story into a dispute involving party loyalty and leadership rivalries.