India, March 18 -- A major political controversy has erupted after BJP MP from Odisha, Pradip Purohit, claimed in the Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his previous birth.

Following the remark, the Deputy Chairman ordered that the Bargarh MP's statement be expunged from the proceedings of the House.

Purohit attributed his claim to a saint named Girija Baba, who, according to him, had revealed that Narendra Modi was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his past life.

The remark triggered a sharp response from opposition parties, particularly in Maharashtra. Congress MP Varsha Eknath Gaikwad condemned Purohit's statement, alleging that the BJP was systematically disrespecting the Maratha warrior ki...