BJP leader Sambit Patra is in the centre of a political controversy after calling Lord Jagannath a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in what he claims was a “slip of the tongue” when speaking to the media after the PM’s roadshow in Odisha’s Puri yesterday. The BJP’s electoral enemies, particularly Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD), have reacted strongly to the statement about Lord Jagannath, a venerated figure in the historic town. Sambit Patra has now declared a time of “upvaas” (fasting) to atone for the error. In his statement, he mentions the extreme heat and loudness that followed PM Modi’s roadshow. Mr Patra explained that he intended to demonstrate PM Modi’s devotion to Lord Jagannath but made a mistake by saying.
