Sambit Patra caused controversy with his statement that Lord Jagannath is a devotee of PM Modi.

Bhubaneswar: On Monday, Odisha's Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, made a heartfelt appeal to the BJP to keep the revered Lord Jagannath separate from political debates. This request came after Sambit Patra, the saffron party's Puri candidate, sparked controversy with his statement that the state's most revered deity is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, Patra later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he actually meant that the Prime Minister is a devout follower of Lord Jagannath, not the other way around.

In response, Patnaik criticized Patra's statement in a post, stating that it has hurt the pride of Odias. He stated, "Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe. Referring to Mahaprabhu as a devotee of a mere mortal is an insult to the Lord... this is completely unacceptable. It has deeply hurt the sentiments and undermined the faith of millions of Jagannatha devotees and Odias around the world."

"The Lord is the ultimate symbol of Odia pride. I strongly condemn this statement and appeal to the BJP to keep the Lord above any political discourse. This statement has not only hurt the pride of Odias, but it will also be remembered and condemned by the people of Odisha for a long time to come," he added.

Patra responded to the CM's post by saying, "We all make mistakes sometimes." He further explained that during multiple interviews with different media channels, he had mentioned that Modi is a devout follower of Lord Jagannath. However, in one of the interviews, he made a mistake and said the opposite. He urged Patnaik to not make an issue out of a non-existent issue and stated that everyone makes mistakes.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also condemned Patra's statement, calling it an insult to God. "I strongly condemn this statement by the BJP. They have started to believe that they are above God. This is sheer arrogance. Referring to God as a devotee of Modi is an insult to God," he posted on social media.

AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar, also condemned the statement and stated, "The country and Odisha will not tolerate such insults towards Lord Jagannath!"

Patnaik's attack on the BJP comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised the issue of Ratna Bhandar (treasure trove) of Lord Jagannath in their election rallies. Addressing two rallies in Angul and Cuttack, Modi questioned why the BJD government has not made the judicial commission's report on the missing key of the Ratna Bhandar public.

"The BJD's involvement in this case seems suspicious. If the BJP forms the government in Odisha, we will make the report public," Modi stated confidently.

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