'Eat properly, too much of heat': BJD's VK Pandian's advice after Sambit Patra announces 3-day fast 

Hours after BJP's Sambit Patra announced a three-day fast to repent his mistake on Lord Jagannath, BJD's VK Pandian advised him to take care of himself as there was too much heat. Patra, who is contesting from the Puri Lok Sabha seat, on Monday said, by mistake, that Lord Jagannath is PM Modi's bhakt (devotee).

The BJP leader immediately came under fire from a section of people and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Patra said it was a 'slip of tongue' and announced a three-day fast to repent his mistake. 

Reacting to Patra's 'upvaas', the chief minister's close aide Pandian said: "I think he should take care, it is too much heat and dust. He should eat properly and take care...Three days before elections, he should not faint. He is a doctor, he should know what to do."  

When asked if the BJD will escalate this issue, the bureaucrat-turned-politician said: "Lord Jagannath can never be escalated and Lord Jagannath should always be above everything else. BJD never believes in doing politics over religion, especially Lord Jagannath."

On Monday, Patra while speaking to a private Odia channel said that Lord Jagannath is PM Modi's bhakt (devotee). The chief minister said it was an insult to Lord Jagannath. "Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world."

The BJP leader tried to explain how he made the error. He said he gave a number of bytes to multiple media channels after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Puri, "everywhere I mentioned that Modi ji is an ardent “Bhakt” of Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu."

"By mistake during one of the bytes I pronounced just the opposite. I know you too know and understand this," Patra said. "Sir, let’s not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue. We all have 'slip of tongue' sometimes. Thanks and Pranam."

In Odisha, elections for assembly and Lok Sabha seats are happening simultaneously. While polling is over for 9 seats, 12 constituencies will go to polls in the next two phases - May 25 and June 1. Puri will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.