Embroiled in a controversy over his “slip of the tongue” on Lord Jagannath, BJP leader and party’s Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra apologised and announced to undertake a penance by observing fast for three days from Tuesday after being criticized from different quarters.
Patra while giving bytes to television channels on Monday, had said that the state’s most revered deity “Lord Jagannath is a devote of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Patra”, however, later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he wanted to mean that the PM was an ardent ‘bhakt’ (devotee) of Lord Jagannath and not the other.
Taking to X, Patra said: “……For this mistake, I apologize at the feet of Lord Sri Jagannath. I will fast for the next three days to atone for this mistake.”