Social media influencer Shubhankar Mishra, who was recently booked for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Lord Jagannath devotees, issued an unconditional apology on Tuesday for his controversial video about the 12th century shrine.
In a statement released on his YouTube channel, Mishra said he had no intention of spreading misinformation or causing offence. He explained that he created the video while attempting to discuss religious matters and relied on information he had collected from the internet and other sources.
“However, in an effort to inform people on religious matters, I had done the video where it was mentioned that Shree Jagannath Temple had been cursed by Radha Rani. I collected this information from net and other sources,” he said.
He added that he regretted the impact of the remarks. “If anybody is hurt over my statement, I tender an apology. I had no such ill intentions,” he said, describing himself as a devotee of Lord Jagannath.
Mishra confirmed that he has deleted the video and said he has received several suggestions and concerns from well wishers and others regarding the content.
The controversy began after Mishra claimed in his video that unmarried couples visiting the shrine could face breakups due to an alleged curse by Radha Rani.
A case has been lodged against him at the Singhadwar Police Station in Puri under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, along with provisions related to making gestures or statements meant to wound the religious sentiments of any person.
Puri District Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, who also serves as the deputy chief administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, said that a committee was examining Mishra’s video.
