Bhubaneswar, May 21 -- Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Puri candidate, Sambit Patra, triggered a controversy on Monday after he said that Lord Jagannath was a "devotee" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Congress accusing him of insulting the faith of millions of people.
Accompanied by Patra, Modi held a roadshow in the coastal city of Puri, where the Jagannath Temple is located.
Speaking to reporters after the roadshow, Patra said in Odia: "Lakhs of people have gathered here to see PM Modi. [Lord] Jagannath is Modi's bhakt and we are all PM Modi's family. I cannot control my emotions and I think today is a momentous day for all Odia people." Patra had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 ...