Bhubaneswar, May 21: Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra, who faced widespread criticism for calling Lord Jagannath an ardent devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked for forgiveness on Tuesday for his mistake.

Patra issued a clarification, expressing regret for his 'slip of the tongue' and announced that he would offer penance to Lord Jagannath as an apology.

The controversy began when Patra, while speaking to the media after Modi’s roadshow in Puri, stated, “Lakhs of people have come to Puri to see Modi. Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Modi. And we all belong to Modi’s family. I cannot control my emotions. No doubt, today is a special day for every Odia.”

This statement sparked outrage across the state, with leaders from various parties condemning Patra for hurting the sentiments of Jagannath devotees worldwide.

Following the backlash, the BJP leader took to Twitter, posting a video message to beg forgiveness. He clarified, “Today, PM Narendra Modi held a huge roadshow in Puri, which was a grand success. After the roadshow, I spoke with many media outlets, where I intended to say that PM Modi is an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath. Instead, I mistakenly said that Lord Jagannath is PM Modi’s devotee, which is a grave error. Unknowingly, I said the opposite. We should not make such statements about Mahaprabhu even unknowingly. I am a devotee of Lord Jagannath myself, and I made this statement unintentionally, for which I sincerely apologize.”

He further added, “I bow down at the feet of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath Ji and beg for forgiveness. I will fast for the next three days to atone for my mistake.”

Notably, apart from BJD Supremo Naveen Patnaik, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also criticized Patra, calling his remark an “insult to God.”

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