BJP's Sambit Patra on 3-day fast over ‘slip of tongue’ on Lord Jagannath, PM Narendra Modi

BJP leader Sambit Patra announced that he is pained over his “slip of tongue” on Lord Jagannath, and will fast for three days.

Published on: May 21, 2024, 15:07:23 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Vaishnawi Sinha

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Sambit Patra, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Puri Lok Sabha candidate, issued an unconditional apology after his “slip of tongue" on Lord Jagannath. After being embroiled in a controversy over his comments, Sambit Patra said he would undertake penance by observing fast for three days from Tuesday.

Sambit Patra, while speaking to reporters on a local television channel on Monday, said, “Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Later, the BJP leader clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he wanted to mean that the PM was an ardent 'bhakt' (devotee) of Lord Jagannath and not the other.

Expressing regret over his statement, Patra posted on X, "For this mistake, I apologise at the feet of Lord Sri Jagannath. I will fast for the next three days to atone for this mistake."

Patra also said that on Monday, on the occasion of Modi's roadshow in Puri, he had conversations with many media. While talking to the media, instead of saying 'Maha Prabhu Sri Jagannath's Bhakt Modi', he mistakenly pronounced 'Modi's Bhakt Jagannath'.

The BJP candidate's words sparked a controversy, and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik condemned them, appealing to the BJP to keep Lord Jagannath out of political discourse in the country.

In an X post, Patnaik wrote, “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,” he further added.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also condemned the BJP candidate's statement. "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 abhakt of Modi ji is an insult to God," he posted on X.

(With inputs from PTI)

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