Jual Oram Alleges BJP Rivals Are Plotting His Exit From Cabinet, Says ‘I Won’t Be Intimidated’

Jual Oram vowed to uncover the people allegedly working against him.

Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Union Tribal Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Jual Oram has made a strong political statement against what he described as an internal campaign within his own party to damage his reputation and push him out of the Union Cabinet.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Oram alleged that some BJP leaders were working together behind the scenes to weaken his position and create an opportunity for themselves to enter the Union Cabinet.

The veteran tribal leader also issued an unusually aggressive warning to those whom he believes are involved in the alleged campaign, saying he would identify them and take strong action.

His remarks have triggered a political controversy in Odisha, with opposition parties accusing the minister of making threatening statements and highlighting what they describe as growing internal differences within the BJP.

Oram Claims Internal Campaign Against Him

Oram alleged that certain people had been spending money and conspiring to defame him.

According to the minister, the motive behind the alleged campaign was not simply to criticise him politically but to remove him from the Union Cabinet so that another leader could potentially take his place.

He said he intended to find out who was behind the campaign and had already raised the issue with the Odisha BJP’s organising secretary.

The allegations come at a politically sensitive time for the BJP in Odisha, where the party is in power and Oram remains one of its most senior tribal leaders.

Oram is a six-time Member of Parliament from Odisha’s tribal-dominated Sundergarh constituency and has been a prominent face of tribal politics within the BJP for decades.

‘BJP Can’t Force Me Out Through Pressure’

Oram’s comments reflected a clear determination to fight back against what he believes is an organised effort to undermine him.

He said the people allegedly working against him appeared to believe that his removal would create an opportunity for them to secure a position in the Union Cabinet.

Rather than indicating that he planned to step aside, Oram said the controversy had actually strengthened his resolve to remain politically active.

The minister revealed that he had earlier decided not to contest another parliamentary election. However, he now says he intends to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha election because of the circumstances surrounding the current controversy.

Controversy Follows Aide’s Arrest

The immediate backdrop to Oram’s remarks is the arrest of one of his aides, Rakesh Paswan, in Rourkela.

Paswan was arrested in connection with an alleged organised crime case and has denied the allegations against him.

According to the reports, Paswan was accused of providing shelter to criminals at a government-run guest house in the steel city.

Oram had earlier stated that he had no objection to legal action being taken against his aide if the allegations were established.

However, the arrest appears to have created a new political problem for the Union minister, with questions being raised about his association with Paswan.

Oram has rejected the broader political implications and has instead alleged that his opponents are using the incident as part of a campaign to damage his image.

Strong Warning Draws Political Backlash

The most controversial part of Oram’s remarks was his warning to those he believes are attempting to defame him.

The minister used extremely aggressive language, saying that he had the ability to “cut off the hands” of people who defamed him and warned that he would take strong action against those responsible.

The comments immediately attracted criticism from opposition parties.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress used the remarks to attack the BJP government in Odisha, arguing that a senior Union minister should not use language that could be interpreted as threatening violence.

BJD Says Remarks Expose BJP’s Internal Differences

BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik said Oram’s comments revealed serious internal differences within the BJP.

She argued that instead of focusing on governance and public issues, BJP leaders were allegedly engaged in fighting among themselves.

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty also criticised Oram’s remarks, saying that the minister’s statement had raised concerns about the state’s law-and-order situation.

Mohanty questioned how a public representative could justify comments suggesting that he would take matters into his own hands.

The opposition has sought to use the controversy to portray the BJP as divided and increasingly involved in internal power struggles.

Congress Also Attacks Oram

The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee also criticised the Union minister.

OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das described Oram’s comments as inappropriate and accused the BJP of encouraging an aggressive political culture.

Das invoked Mahatma Gandhi and India’s freedom struggle to argue that violence has no place in political discourse.

The Congress leader said political disagreements should be settled through democratic and constitutional means rather than threats.

Oram’s Political Career Adds Weight to the Controversy

Oram’s long political career makes the allegations particularly significant.

As a senior tribal leader and a six-time MP, he has considerable experience within Odisha politics and the BJP organisation.

His decision to reconsider his earlier plan to retire from electoral politics also indicates that the latest controversy may have had a personal political impact on him.

Rather than stepping away from public life, Oram now says he will contest the 2029 general election.

That decision could make the current dispute an important episode in the next phase of his political career.

Questions Over BJP’s Internal Dynamics

The controversy has also brought attention to the internal dynamics of the BJP in Odisha.

Oram’s allegation that some party colleagues are working to remove him from the Union Cabinet is serious, although he has not publicly identified the leaders he believes are behind the alleged campaign.

If his allegations are pursued further, the issue could potentially become an internal organisational matter for the BJP.

For the party leadership, the challenge will be to manage the controversy without allowing it to grow into a larger public dispute between senior leaders.

At the same time, opposition parties are likely to continue highlighting Oram’s comments as evidence of factionalism within the ruling party.

A Political Fight That Is Far From Over

For now, Jual Oram has made it clear that he intends to fight back against what he sees as an organised attempt to weaken his political standing.

His comments have transformed an issue initially linked to the arrest of an aide into a much broader political controversy involving allegations of an internal conspiracy, Cabinet ambitions and the future of one of Odisha’s most prominent tribal leaders.

The opposition has condemned his language, while Oram remains firm in his allegation that certain BJP leaders are attempting to damage his reputation.

Whether the alleged campaign exists and who, if anyone, is behind it remains to be established.

What is clear, however, is that the controversy has opened a new political fault line in Odisha, with Oram publicly challenging those he believes are working against him and signalling that he is not preparing to leave electoral politics.

His declaration that he plans to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha election suggests that, despite the current turmoil, Jual Oram intends to remain a significant player in Odisha politics for years to come.

News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.