“People once recognised Odisha as the home of Lord Jagannath. But nowadays, if you claim to be from Odisha, citizens of India will quickly associate you with the state’s current chief minister Naveen Patnaik “P K Deb, the industries minister, had stated.
By equating Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with Lord Jagannath, an Odisha minister incited outrage across the whole state, leading opposition parties to seek an unreserved apology.
In a BJD meeting on Friday, Industries Minister P K Deb stated that while Odisha is today recognised for Patnaik, it was formerly known for Lord Jagannath.
“Odisha used to be known to people as the home of Lord Jagannath. But now, if you claim to be from Odisha, people all over India would instantly associate you with the state’s current chief minister, Naveen Patnaik,” the minister had stated.
His remarks sparked strong criticism from other political parties and religious organisations.
“It’s ‘arrogance’ to the hilt when an Odisha minister, Pratap Keshari Deb, claims that while earlier people recognised Odisha in the name of Lord Jagannath, now it’s the chief minister who has gained more fame than the Lord…; Odisha is now known because of Naveen Patnaik & not Jagannath ji,” said BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra.
“This is insulting to the 4.5 crore Hindus in Odisha and the entire world. We all want to know whether the CM agrees with Shri Deb’s assertion; if not, will the CM censure the Minister in question?,” tweeted Patra, who had unsuccessfully run for the Puri seat in the previous Lok Sabha election.
The minister was also criticised by Prithviraj Harichandan, state general secretary of the BJP, who called his remarks the “peak of ignorance.”
“The BJD has gone beyond all bounds of ego and conceit. Party leaders are now viewed as an alternative to Lord Shri Jagannath, the speaker claimed.
The head of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, Sarat Pattnayak, referred to the minister’s comments as regrettable.
Additionally, the opposition members demanded a full apology from Deb, who could not be reached for comment.
The Shree Jagannath Sena protested in Puri in the meantime, denouncing Deb for his remarks.
Prasanta Patnaik