During his visit to Odisha, former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu strongly objected to allegations of anti-BJP sentiment due to his stay at Raj Bhavan and his meeting with the Governor. His office has emphasized the need for a strong response, arguing that the courtesy meeting should not be politicized.
On social media platform X, the Vice President’s office stated that the former Vice President’s visit should remain apolitical. They highlighted that it is customary for former Vice Presidents to stay at Raj Bhavan as part of protocol, and that courtesy calls from governors and dignitaries are routine.
The tweet clarified that no political discussions occurred during the courtesy call and urged against assigning any political motives to the meeting. They condemned the attempts to drag the former Vice President into a political controversy.
On September 27, the former Vice President arrived in Bhubaneswar for a two-day visit. He went directly to Raj Bhavan and later attended the convocation ceremony of the Asian School of Business Management as the Chief Guest. After spending the night at Raj Bhavan, he returned to Delhi the following day.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met with him during his stay, as did Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. Both leaders, along with the Governor, gathered at Raj Bhavan, prompting the opposition party BJD to politicize the event. Some leaders discussed the upcoming Jharkhand elections with the media, suggesting that political conversations were indeed happening at Raj Bhavan.