CM Naveen Condemns Sambit Patra’s Remark On Lord Jagannath, Says ‘Odia Asmita’ Deeply Hurt

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today condemned BJP’s Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra’s remark on Lord Jagannath saying his statement has deeply hurt the ‘Odia Asmita.’

Taking to his X handle, Patnaik said, “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,” he added.

It is to be noted here that while speaking on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Puri today, Patra, had said that lakhs of people have gathered here to see PM Modi and Jagannath is Modi’s bhakt and we are all PM Modi’s family.