BJP leader and candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha seat, Sambit Patra, found himself at the center of controversy after a slip of the tongue regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lord Jagannath went viral. In a clip from an interview with a private Odia channel, Patra mistakenly referred to Lord Jagannath as a devotee of PM Modi.

Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik reacted strongly, stating, "Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the 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." Patnaik emphasized that Lord Jagannath is a symbol of Odia pride and condemned Patra's statement for deeply hurting this sentiment.

Sambit Patra later clarified his remarks, explaining that it was an inadvertent slip of the tongue. Responding to Naveen Patnaik's post on X, Patra wrote, "Naveen Ji Namaskar! I gave a number of bytes today to multiple media channels after the massive success of Shri Narendra Modiji’s Road Show in Puri today, 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. Sir, let’s not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue. We all have 'slip of tongue' sometimes. Thanks and Pranam."

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also criticized Patra, calling his remark an "insult to God." He stated, "I strongly condemn this statement of BJP. They have started thinking that they are above God. This is the height of arrogance. Calling God a bhakt of Modi ji is an insult to God."

The Congress party also expressed outrage over Patra's comment. In a post on their X handle, the party said, "BJP leader Sambit Patra says that Mahaprabhu Lord Shri Jagannath is a devotee of Narendra Modi. This is a grave insult to Mahaprabhu. This statement has hurt the faith of crores of devotees. Sambit Patra, who is immersed in Modi Bhakti, should not have committed this sin. Narendra Modi himself should apologize for this disgusting statement."

Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, is a revered deity in Odisha, and his temple in Puri is a significant pilgrimage site.