'Never eaten beef': YouTuber Kamiya Jani claims amid row over her Jagannath Temple visit

The influencer Sunday issued a clarification saying that she is a practicing Hindu and has never "eaten or promoted beef".

"My motive behind going to Jagannath was to seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath and present information about the temple's infrastructure. I am a practicing Hindu. I have never eaten beef, and don't promote it ever," Jani said in a video on her Instagram page.

"In the wake of the recent controversy, it is important that I put out real facts and the truth. This one incident, in no way, will shake my pride in my country and its rich culture. I am and will always be a proud Indian," she said.

The controversy erupted after Jani uploaded a video on Shree Jagannath's culture.

In the video, she spoke to bureaucrat-turned-Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader VK Pandian who explained the importance of 'Mahaprasad', the ongoing heritage corridor project, and other aspects linked to temple development.

The BJP charged the BJD leader with facilitating the entry of Jani into the shrine, who 'promotes beef consumption' on a YouTube channel.

"The sacred sanctity of Puri Srimandir, rich with historical and spiritual heritage, has been shamefully disregarded by VK Pandian, the chairman of 5T, who callously allowed a beef promoter into the revered premises of Jagannath Mandir. Those responsible must face swift and severe consequences," wrote the Odisha unit of BJP in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The post also featured photos of Jani at a restaurant that serves beef.

The 35-year-old creator clarified that the photos posted by the BJP Odisha unit were from a video shot in Kerala where she visited a restaurant started by two truck drivers that has become famous for its beef dish.