New Delhi:

BJP leader Sambit Patra found himself in the eye of a political storm following an unfortunate slip of the tongue. During an interaction with media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Odisha’s Puri yesterday, Mr Patra suggested that Lord Jagannath, the revered deity of the ancient town, is a devotee of PM Modi. This gaffe has ignited a fierce backlash from political rivals, especially from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The incident occurred in the sweltering heat and chaos following PM Modi’s roadshow. Mr Patra in his clarifications has said that he had aimed to highlight PM Modi’s devotion to Lord Jagannath but mistakenly stated, “Jagannath is Modi’s bhakt.” The comment, captured on camera, immediately stirred controversy, drawing ire from multiple quarters. The political fallout as a result of Mr Patra’s remarks has prompted the BJP leader to undertake a period of “upvaas” (fasting) in atonement.

READ | Sambit Patra’s “Slip Of Tongue” That Found A New ‘Bhakt’ For PM Modi

“Today, a statement made by me had created a controversy. After PM Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Puri, I gave byte to many media channels and everywhere I said the same thing, that PM Narendra Modi is an ardent devotee of Mahaprabhu Jagannath… In the end, when another channel took my byte, it was extremely hot, crowded and noisy. Unknowingly, while giving the byte, I said the opposite, that Mahaprabhu is a devotee of PM Narendra Modi. This can never be true, and a person in his senses can never say such things that god is a devotee of a human. I have made this mistake unintentionally. I know some people must have been hurt but even god forgives mistakes made unintentionally… I need to seek forgiveness from Mahaprabhu Jagannath for this slip of the tongue and I have decided to do a ‘upvaas’,” Mr Patra said.

आज महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी को लेकर मुझसे जो भूल हुई है, उस विषय को लेकर मेरा अंतर्मन अत्यंत पीड़ित है।

मैं महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी के चरणों में शीश झुकाकर क्षमा याचना करता हूँ। अपने इस भूल सुधार और पश्चाताप के लिए अगले 3 दिन मैं उपवास पर रहूँगा।

जय जगन्नाथ।

ଆଜି ଶ୍ରୀ… pic.twitter.com/rKavOxMjIq

— Sambit Patra (Modi Ka Parivar) (@sambitswaraj) May 20, 2024

The reaction from Naveen Patnaik was swift and sharp. The Odisha Chief Minister condemned Mr Patra’s statement in a scathing social media post, saying that such remarks insult the sanctity of ‘Mahaprabhu’ Jagannath and hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees. He urged the BJP to refrain from dragging the deity into political discourse, a sentiment echoed by other opposition leaders.

“Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world,” Mr Patnaik wrote.

Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of Universe.

Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. 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…

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 20, 2024

The controversy quickly gained momentum, with leaders from various parties joining the chorus of condemnation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP’s perceived arrogance, suggesting that such statements indicate a dangerous level of self-aggrandisement within the party. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed these sentiments, calling Mr Patra’s statement a height of arrogance and an “insult to God”.

The Congress, BJD, and AAP capitalised on the uproar, with the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Modi himself. “Sambit Patra, who is immersed in Modi Bhakti, should not have committed this sin. Narendra Modi should apologise for this disgusting statement,” stated the Congress’s official communication.

Amid the escalating backlash, Mr Patra took to social media to clarify his statement. He explained that it was an inadvertent slip of the tongue, a mistake made under the strain of the moment. “I gave a number of bytes today to multiple media channels…by mistake during one of the bytes I pronounced 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 a slip of the tongue sometimes,” Mr Patra wrote directly to Chief Minister Patnaik, seeking to defuse the situation.

Despite Mr Patra’s apology, opposition parties remained unyielding. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) lodged a formal complaint, alleging that Mr Patra’s statement was a deliberate attempt to insult religious sentiments. They accused him of violating the model code of conduct and called for strict action.

This controversy unfolds as Odisha heads into a crucial phase of the elections, with Patra’s gaffe potentially influencing voter sentiment. The BJP, which is striving to make significant inroads in the state, now faces the challenge of mitigating the fallout from this incident.

 

Jajpur (Odisha):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, showed a humble gesture toward children in the middle of a speech in Odisha and asked the Special Protection Group (SPG) commandos to collect the pictures (brought as gifts) from the children at a public rally and said that he will write a letter to them.

Addressing a rally in Odisha on Tuesday, PM Modi said, “I request SPG commandos to collect the pictures (brought as gifts) that were constantly being raised by some children. Children, please mention your addresses at the back of the paper. Main chithhi likhunga aap logo ko…(I will write a letter to you).”

Earlier, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore in Odisha’s Jajpur.

The projects relate to sectors including oil and gas, railways, roads, transport, and highways, and atomic energy.

Noting the Jayanti of Biju Patnaik, the Prime Minister remembered his incomparable contribution to the nation and Odisha.

Highlighting the inauguration and foundation stone-laying of mega development projects worth about Rs 20,000 crores in the sectors of petroleum, natural gas, atomic energy, roadways, railways, and connectivity today, the Prime Minister said that it will boost industrial activities in the region and create new employment opportunities. He congratulated the people of Odisha for the development projects.

The Prime Minister put forward the government’s approach of taking care of the present needs of the nation while working for the resolution of Viksit Bharat. He mentioned the efforts to enhance the capabilities of the Eastern states in the energy sector. Under the Urja Ganga Yojana, in the five big states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, major projects are underway for the supply of natural gas.

PM Modi inaugurated a 344-kilometre-long product pipeline from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal. He also inaugurated the Indian Oil Corporation Limited Mono Ethylene Glycol Project in Paradip Refinery and the 0.6 MMTPA LPG Import Facility at Paradip, which will bring a revolutionary change to the polyester industry of eastern India. This will also provide raw materials for the textile parks in Bhadrak and Paradip.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the central government making use of the abundance of natural resources in Eastern India for the development of Odisha and spoke about the desalination plant in Ganjam district that will treat almost 50 lakh litres of saline water every day and make it suitable for drinking.

PM Modi is on three-day visit to states including Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar from March 4 to 6.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)