The youth wing of the Opposition party, Bhartiya Janata Yuval Morcha (BJYM) intensified its protest against Odisha Industries minister Pratap Keshari Deb over his controversial statement comparing CM Naveen Patnaik to Lord Jagannath.
Members of BJYM, accompanied by local leaders and servitors of Puri Lord Jagannath temple staged protest by lighting lamps and raising slogans against CM Naveen Patnaik.
The protest was led by the youth leaders of BJYM accompanied by Jayanta Sarangi, MLA, Puri and Jayanta Dash, President, BJYM, Puri District.
"Minister Pratap Deb has tarnished the image of Odisha and hurt sentiments of millions of people all around the world by projecting the stature of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik higher than Lord Jagannath," rued Puri MLA Jayanta Sarangi.
Sarangi further added, that he along with the members of BJYM have conveyed their message to Lord Jagannath and prayed before the almighty to show better path to the leaders of the ruling party.
Meanwhile, the President of BJYM, Puri District, Jayanta Dash also bashed Deb over the controversy.
"CM Naveen Patnaik may have been ruling Odisha for more than two decades, but that doesn’t implies that his stature is equivalent to Lord Jagannath," said Dash.
Lord Jagannath is not only the identity of Odisha, but entire India and Hindu community. Such kind of statements, present the sheer arrogance and ego of the ruling party and its leaders.
The BJP youth wing has also warned to ban the minister from entering Puri. Meanwhile, no reactions have come from the minister or the BJD.
Minister Deb while addressing a meeting on Friday triggered a political storm by saying,“Earlier everyone around the nation used to recognise people of Odisha by the name of Lord Jagannath, now they instantly recognise us by name of CM Naveen Patnaik.”