May 21st 2024.
The Congress party has come down heavily on the BJP for a comment made by their Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra. The Congress is demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.
Patra had made a statement on Monday, saying that Lord Jagannath, the most revered deity in Odisha, is a devoted follower of Prime Minister Modi. However, he later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and what he meant was that the prime minister was a devout 'bhakt' of Lord Jagannath.
Following the controversy, Patra apologized and announced that he will observe a three-day fast starting Tuesday as a form of penance. He faced criticism from various quarters for his statement.
At a press conference held at the AICC headquarters, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate expressed her discontent with the BJP's behavior. She said, "It is unacceptable how they are showing disrespect towards Hindu deities and the faith of millions of Hindus by blindly following PM Modi. Sambit Patra's statement yesterday was a shock for everyone, claiming that 'Lord Jagannath is Narendra Modi's bhakt'."
She questioned, "Who gave him the authority to say something like this? And now he is apologizing only because he is facing criticism?"
Shrinate went on to say that Patra's statement was an "absolute insult" to the belief that Hindus hold in their religion and their gods. She demanded that PM Modi apologize for it.
The Congress leader also drew parallels between Patra's statement and propaganda techniques used in history. "Hitler also believed he was a divine figure, and so does Kim Jong Un. Sambit Patra claimed Lord Jagannath to be a follower of Modi, but when there was an outcry, he said it was a slip of the tongue," she said.
Shrinate further accused the BJP of repeatedly insulting Hindu deities by equating them with PM Modi. "During the Pran Pratishtha, an official BJP handle posted a photo where Lord Ram was depicted as a child, and Modi was shown holding his finger. In Ayodhya, bigger cut-outs of Modi were installed than those of Lord Ram," she alleged.
She also mentioned instances where BJP leaders have declared Modi to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Lord Ram. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who was also present at the press conference, condemned Patra's statement and said that if he were a member of the Congress party, he would have been expelled immediately.
Khera demanded that PM Modi apologize to the millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath within 24 hours for Patra's remarks. The Congress party is not willing to let this issue go and has made it clear that it won't tolerate any disrespect towards Hindu deities and their faith.
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