- Sunday, December 22, 2024
Sambit Patra, who is contesting from the holy city of Puri where a famous Jagannath temple is located, said it was a ‘slip of tongue’ and he would fast for three days as an atonement.
By: Shubham Ghosh
SAMBIT Patra, national spokesperson of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has found himself at the centre of a controversy again.
The leader, who is contesting this year’s parliamentary elections from Puri in the eastern state of Odisha, recently called Lord Jagannath, a revered deity in the holy town from where he is contesting, a devotee of prime minister Narendra Modi, igniting a massive backlash from the political rivals, especially Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the BJP’s main opponent in the state.
Patra claimed it was a “slip of tongue” while he spoke to the media in the heat and crowd following a roadshow held by Modi in Puri on Monday (20).
He also announced a period of “upvaas” (fasting) as atonement.
While clarifying his position, Patra, who is a surgeon, referred to the sweltering heat and noise following the prime minister’s roadshow. He said he was trying to highlight Modi’s devotion to Lord Jagannath but said mistakenly that the god is Modi’s bhakt (devotee). It did not take much time for the remark, caught on camera, to cause an outrage.
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In his clarification, he refers to the sweltering heat and noise following PM Modi’s roadshow. Mr Patra said 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 provoked outrage from multiple quarters.
Patra later posted a video on his X apologising for his remark in Odiya and said he would observe fasting for the next three days to atone for his “mistake”. Patra was born in an Odiya family in Bokaro city in present-day Jharkhand state.
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“Today, I am deeply troubled by the mistake I have made regarding Mahaprabhu Shri Jagannath Ji. I bow down at the feet of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath Ji and beg for forgiveness. I will be fasting for the next 3 days to correct my mistake and repent. Jai Jagannath.
“Today, on the occasion of Shri Narendra Modi’s arrival in Puri, I had a conversation with many media friends at Janghali in Puri Ladadand. In this sea of people, while chatting with a media friend, instead of saying ‘Maha Prabhu Sri Jagannath’s Bhakti Modi’, he mistakenly pronounced ‘Modi’s Bhakti Jagannath’.
“For this mistake, I apologize at the feet of Lord Sri Jagannath.
“I will fast for the next three days to atone for this mistake. Jai Jagannath”
https://x.com/sambitswaraj/status/1792636303030272340
Patra also wrote directly to Naveen Patnaik, the chief minister of Odisha and the supremo of the BJD, requesting to defuse the situation.
However, the BJP leader by then had faced the wrath of the BJD, the ruling party of Odisha which is neither a member of the BJP-led alliance nor the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. Patnaik condemned Patra’s remark in a social media post saying it insulted the sanctity of ‘Mahaprabhu’ Jagannath and hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees.
He also urged the Hindu nationalist party not to drag the deity into political discourse, a viewpoint which was supported by other opposition leaders.
“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 Odia Asmita. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is totally condemnable.
“I strongly denounce the statement made by the BJP Puri Lok Sabha candidate 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,” the veteran leader said in a post on X.
https://x.com/Naveen_Odisha/status/1792552775722950889
Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP sayin such remarks speak about a dangerous level of self-aggrandisement within the Hindu nationalist party. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi and convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party which is also in the middle of a political fight with the BJP, called Patra’s statement a height of arrogance and an “insult to God”.
The Congress also demanded an apology from Modi for Patra’s statement, which it called “disgusting”.
The Congress’s Odisha chapter lodged a formal complaint, alleging that Patra had made the statement to deliberately insult religious sentiments. They also accused him of violating the model code of conduct and called for strict action.
Patra contested from Puri in the 2019 parliamentary elections as well but lost to his BJD opponent Pinaki Mishra by a little over 11,000 votes. Puri goes to polls on May 25, when the sixth phase of the national elections will be held.
The BJP has not been a strong player in Odisha but improved their seat tally to eight from one in the previous elections.
Besides the national polls, Odisha is also witnessing elections to pick its own legislative assembly.
