Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 12 (ANI): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks on Odisha, accusing him of insulting the state's culture and traditions during his visit.

Pradhan said that instead of making fresh allegations, Gandhi should have apologised to the people of Odisha for the humiliation caused by the Congress party in the past. He also accused the Congress MP of disrespecting the sacred 'khandua pata', a traditional cloth offered in honour of Lord Jagannath.

Speaking to reporters, Pradhan said, 'Rahul Gandhi is not so knowledgeable. He speaks what his team writes for him. I would have liked it if he had sought an apology from the people of Odisha after all the humiliation we have faced from his party... He had come to Odisha after so long, he really should have asked for an apology from the Odiyas... Instead of that, he gave another example of his arrogance. Whoever comes to Odisha, they are offered 'khandua pata' in the form of the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath... When Rahul Gandhi removed and kept the 'khandua pata' aside, it shows that he does not have an iota of knowledge and respect for our culture and traditions. These are just theatrics...'

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi had accused the Odisha government of stealing from the poor and alleged that industrialist Gautam Adani was running the state. He also claimed that the chariots of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra were stopped for Adani and his family.

Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan attended the birth centenary celebration of eminent writer Bidyutprabha Devi at RD University in Bhubaneswar. Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and senior BJP leaders were also present at the event.

Pradhan praised the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and the Odia community for organising the event and honouring literary contributions.

'I express my heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the Odisha Sahitya Akademi and the Odisha Government. I also thank the Odia community for organising this cultural event. This program will inspire the younger generation, especially women, to develop a greater interest in literature and give more respect to literary contributions,' he said.

He added that such initiatives would encourage young people to value literature and stressed the need to promote the Odia language using modern technology.

'I fully support this initiative and request that such efforts continue throughout the year. In today's time, with the rise of new technologies like AI, it is important that we work together to promote and enrich the Odia language in the digital world. All Odias should come forward to help make our language stronger and more advanced,' Pradhan said. (ANI)