BJP Puri Lok Sabha Candidate’s Statement on Lord Jagannath Deeply Hurt Odia Asmita: Naveen 

Bhubaneswar: BJP Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra’s controversial statement on Lord Jagannath has deeply hurt the Odia Asmita and it will be condemned by the people of Odisha for a very long time, said Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik.

The BJP leader has sparked a major controversy by reportedly saying that Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Strongly denouncing the BJP MP candidate’s statement, the Odisha CM said, “Mahaprabhu Shri 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, the CM said.

“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 BJD President wrote on his ‘X’ handle.