Sambit Patra's ‘slip of tongue’ on Lord Jagannath sparks row
Patra, the BJP candidate from Puri LS seat, said that Lord Jagannath, Odisha most revered deity was a "devotee" of PM Modi, in a statement that he has called a slip of tongue, but which has led to the BJD, Congress and AAP taking potshots at him
BJP leader Sambit Patra, who is contesting the polls from the Puri Lok Sabha seat, has sparked a major controversy over his remark that Lord Jagannath, Odisha’s most revered deity was a “devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. While Patra has clarified that it was a “slip of tongue,” the BJD, Congress and AAP have lashed out at him, accusing him of insulting Lord Jagannath and hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees who worship him.
Hours after Patra’s statement sparked a stir, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made an appeal to the BJP to keep Lord Jagannath above the political discourse.
Patnaik, in post on X, criticised Patra for hurting Odia 'asmita' (pride).
"Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a 'bhakt' of another human being is an insult to the Lord... it is totally condemnable. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world. The Lord is the greatest symbol of Odia asmita. I strongly denounce the statement... and I appeal to the BJP to keep the Lord above any political discourse. By this, you have deeply hurt Odia asmita and this will be remembered and condemned by people of Odisha for a very long time," the chief minister said.
Sharing Patra’s video on social media, the Congress also demanded Prime Minister Modi to apologise for the same.
We all have slip of tongue: Patra
Patra, however, clarified that it was a slip of tongue and he wanted to mean that the prime minister was an ardent 'bhakt' (devotee) of Lord Jagannath and not the other way round.
Responding to Patnaik’s post, Patra said that "we all have slip of tongue sometimes".
"I gave a number of bytes today to multiple media channels after the massive success of Shri Narendra Modiji's road show in Puri today, everywhere I mentioned that Modi ji is an ardent 'bhakt' of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu. By mistake during one of the bytes, I said just the opposite... I know you too know and understand this... Sir let's not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue... we all have slip of tongue sometimes," Patra said.
Congress, AAP condemn remark
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal also condemned the statement of the BJP candidate.
"I strongly condemn this statement of the BJP. They have started thinking that they are above God. This is a height of arrogance. Calling God bhakt of Modi ji is an insult to God," he posted on X.
AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar, also condemned the statement, posting on X, "The country and Odisha will not tolerate this insult of Lord Jagannath!"
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) moved the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) alleging that Patra violated the model code of conduct. The party's Puri candidate Jayanarayan Patnaik also lodged a complaint against Patra with Town police station in Puri.
The OPCC, in its petition to the CEO, said that Patra's statement is an "act of offensive indulgence to insult the religious beliefs of the devotees of Lord Jagannath in particular and Hindu community of our country and Odia people at large and it was clearly spoken with a deliberate and malicious intention to outrage the religious feelings of millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath".
‘Blasphemous statement’, says TMC
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress said the sentiments of millions of people across the country have been hurt by the "blasphemous" statement of Patra.
West Bengal minister and senior party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya, in a video message in Bengali, said, "Sambit Patra has crossed all limits of arrogance and audacity, it will be an understatement that he has hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees of the Lord. He has actually committed an act of blasphemy and has shown that BJP professes scant respect for our gods. He has made a mockery of faith and beliefs of Hindus. It is unthinkable that someone can utter such a thing."
She said lakhs of devotees, who visit the famed Jagannath temple in Puri every year from West Bengal, will not accept Patra's "afterthought apology" made in the wake of massive protests in Odisha and elsewhere.
"People of Odisha and Bengal will teach him and his party BJP a lesson for such a blasphemous remark," she said.
The TMC, in its official X handle, said, "BJP candidate from Puri Sambit Patra hit a new low by claiming that even Lord Jagannath is a bhakt of PM Modi. By dragging Mahaprabhu's name into their petty political discourse just to prop up the Prime Minister's image, BJP has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees not just in Bengal but worldwide."
Ratna Bhandar issue
The BJD president's attack on the BJP came on the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah raising the issue of Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Lord Jagannath in poll rallies.
Addressing two election rallies in Angul and Cuttack on Monday, Modi raised the Ratna Bhandar missing key issue and sought to know why the BJD "suppressed the judicial commission report" on the matter.
"The BJD's role in the case is suspicious. After the BJP forms the government in Odisha, it will make the report public," Modi said.
Patra is in the fray in the Puri parliamentary constituency for the second consecutive time. He was defeated in the seat in 2019 by BJD's Pinaki Mishra at a margin of only 11,784 votes.
(With inputs from agencies)
