Daitari offers apologies

Puri: Jatra artiste Daitari Panda, whose statement triggered widespread reaction from various quarters, came to Srimandir Wednesday and prayed to Lord Jagannath to forgive him for his comments. Panda, who joined the BJD recently, equated Naveen Patnaik with Lord Jagannath. After visiting the temple, Panda, who is a famous villain in Odia opera arena, tendered his apology to all 4.5 crore Odias for his statement. He said there would be no repeat of this mistake in the future. An FIR has also been lodged against the opera actor for his remarks describing the CM as Lord Jagannath.