The Differing Viewpoint
Recent events have heightened political tensions in Odisha. Sambit Patra, the BJP candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, became involved in a scandal due to comments he made regarding Lord Jagannath. Patra made a comment in an interview with a local Odia news program that has drawn a lot of criticism for being demeaning to the venerated Lord Jagannath, the chief deity of the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
Patra reportedly stated that Lord Jagannath is a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or “bhakt” as he is known. This comment was met with swift criticism from a variety of sources, many of whom saw it as a disrespect to Lord Jagannath’s divine position and an affront to the religious beliefs of millions of followers.
The Bitter Reaction of Biju Janata Dal
Chief Minister of Odisha and leader of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party Naveen Patnaik was one of the first to criticize Patra’s divisive remarks. Patnaik tweeted his disappointment, stating that the words had “hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannath bhaktas and Odias across the world.” The tweet was harshly worded.
“The Lord of the Universe is Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha. It is an affront to the Lord to refer to Mahaprabhu as a follower of another person. Across the world, this has offended and denigrated the beliefs of millions of Odias and Jagannatha bhaktas. The greatest Symbol of all is the Lord.
In addition to highlighting the state’s deep-seated devotion for Lord Jagannath, Patnaik’s tweet emphasized the BJD’s steadfast commitment to preserving Odisha’s religious and cultural identity.
The Sarcastic Jibe of V.K. Pandian
The Chief Minister’s declaration was only the beginning of the BJD’s reaction to Patra’s divisive comments. Senior BJD leader and Naveen Patnaik aide V.K. Pandian mockingly criticized Patra for choosing to fast for three days in retaliation for his divisive statement.
Pandian recommended that Patra put his health first and abstain from fasting in light of the upcoming elections in a message to the media. Pandian said, “He should take care of himself and eat well.” He also said, “He should not faint three days before his election.”
In addition to making fun of Patra’s attempt to ask for forgiveness, Pandian’s remarks emphasized the BJD’s strong position against any perceived slight to Lord Jagannath and the religious beliefs of the Odisha people.
The Defensive Position of BJP
Sambit Patra moved to social media to defend his stance and apologize for the divisive comment in the face of growing backlash. Patra admitted that he had unintentionally misspoken during one of his media encounters in response to Naveen Patnaik’s tweet.
“Namaskar, Naveen Ji! Several media stations received a large amount of my data today following the tremendous success of Shri Narendra Modiji’s road show in Puri. I have said it all along: Modi ji is a devoted “Bhakt” of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu. I spoke the exact opposite during one of the bytes by accident. I’m sure you’re aware of and comprehend this as well.”