The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Odisha): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged the BJP to refrain from involving Lord Jagannath in political discourse after Sasmit Patra, the BJP candidate from Puri, remarked that the revered deity is a “devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” This statement ignited a significant controversy.
Patra later clarified that his comment was a slip of the tongue, and he intended to convey that Prime Minister Modi is an ardent ‘bhakt’ (devotee) of Lord Jagannath, not the other way around.
Patnaik criticized Patra’s remark, emphasizing that it hurt the pride and sentiments of the Odia people. In a post on X, he said, “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.”
He continued, “The Lord is the greatest symbol of Odia asmita (pride). 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.”
Responding to the Chief Minister’s post, Patra said, “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.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also condemned Patra’s statement, posting on X, “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.”
AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar, added to the condemnation, stating, “The country and Odisha will not tolerate this insult of Lord Jagannath!”
The controversy over Patra’s remark comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah raising the issue of the Ratna Bhandar (treasury) of Lord Jagannath during their election rallies. Addressing rallies in Angul and Cuttack on Monday, Modi questioned why the BJD had “suppressed the judicial commission report” on the missing key issue of the Ratna Bhandar. He suggested that the BJD’s role in the matter is suspicious and promised that a BJP government in Odisha would make the report public.