PM should apologize for Patra’s ‘Lord Jagannath- Modi Bhakt’ remark: Congress
Congress said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologize to the nation on his party candidate’s behalf for demeaning Lord Jagannath.
BJP candidate for Puri parliamentary constituency Dr Sambit Patra has stoked a controversy by saying that Lord Jagannath is the devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As PM Modi conducted a roadshow in Puri on Friday, Patra’s act of extolling Modi and belittling the Lord has provided the ammunition to the BJD and the Congress to hit out at the highly reprehensible statement by the BJP candidate.
While the Congress party lodged a complaint against the BJP candidate with the state chief electoral officer, Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik strongly denounced the act of belittling the Lord.
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“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,” Patnaik took to X to condemn Patra’s statement.
“Lakhs of people have come to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lord Jagannath is the devotee of Modi and we are all the family members of Modi ji,” Patra told a section of reporters in the pilgrim town on Monday.
“The utterance of Dr Sambit Patra has pained, stunned and deeply hurt us. The statement of Patra implies that Lord Jagannath worships Modi. Lord Jagannath is the revered presiding deity of millions of people. It speaks of arrogance and inflated pride of Patra and his party. It will not be tolerated by the Lord of the Universe,” senior Congress leader Prasad Harichandan said, assailing the saffron party.
Patra has belittled and denigrated Lord Jagannath and made the mockery of millions of Jagannath devotees and followers of Jagannath cult, he added.
It may be noted here that Patra, who unsuccessfully contested the polls in 2019 from Puri LS seat, triggered a similar controversy as he was seen carrying an idol of Lord Jagannath in a vehicle during a rally.
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