NEW DELIHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday tendered an apology for his post dubbing former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik a link between Jawaharlal Nehru and CIA, which had triggered a political row and drawn angry reactions from even his own party colleagues, as he sought to put a lid on the controversy.“Biju babu has always been a tall statesman for me and will remain so. If my statement has hurt anyone’s sentiments, I offer an unconditional apology,” he said.His apology came on a day PM Narendra Modi had a word of praise for the former Odisha CM who was a leading anti-Congress voice in his time. In a letter to incumbent CM Mohan Charan Majhi to mark the recognition of Odisha as a separate province in 1936, he said, “This is the soil that nurtured the great Biju Patnaik whose life epitomises strength, courage and an unwavering commitment to nation-building. Biju Babu’s multifaceted persona inspires us all.“Dubey, a BJP lawmaker from Jharkhand, known for his unabashed attacks on BJP’s critics, especially the Nehru-Gandhi family, said it was his personal opinion. He claimed that his view on Biju Patnaik was in the context of misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family and it was misinterpreted.On X last week, Dubey had called the former Odisha CM a “link” between Jawaharlal Nehru, and the US and its spy agency CIA which, he alleged, used to fund Congress.