Bhubaneswar, July 8: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik for his role during Indonesia's independence struggle, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday hailed the Prime Minister for honouring Biju Patnaik's legacy and enhancing India's prestige.

"Yesterday, during his visit to Indonesia, when the Prime Minister addressed the Indonesian Parliament, he brought pride to both Odisha and India by recalling the contributions of the late Biju Patnaik. The late Biju Babu played a significant role in Indonesia's struggle for independence. That is why he continues to be held in high esteem in Indonesia,” Pradhan told media persons in Bhubaneswar.

Pradhan said that the people of Indonesia have a special place in their hearts for Biju Patnaik widely known as Biju Babu.

“By remembering and acknowledging his contributions during his address, the Prime Minister rightly honoured Biju Patnaik's legacy and enhanced India's prestige. The people of Indonesia have a special place in their hearts for Biju Babu, and through him, for India as well," said Pradhan.

During his address in the Indonesian Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi invoked Odisha’s enduring historical and cultural links with Indonesia and paid tribute to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik for his role in Indonesia’s freedom movement.

The Prime Minister, during his address to a joint session of the Indonesian Parliament, recalled Odisha’s centuries-old maritime heritage and recalled Biju Patnaik’s rescue mission that has become a defining chapter in the bilateral relationship.

Biju Patnaik, an accomplished pilot, had undertaken the high-risk mission in 1947 at the request of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, after Dutch colonial forces launched a military offensive in Indonesia.

Flying a Dakota transport aircraft through the Dutch blockade, he evacuated Sjahrir and Hatta via Singapore. In recognition of his extraordinary contribution, Indonesia later conferred honorary citizenship on Patnaik, a rare distinction for a foreign national.