Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Wednesday clarified her statements regarding her recovery with the help of a Jain spiritual leader, amid controversy over misinterpretations of her remarks.

Speaking at a Mahavir Jayanti event in Borivali, Tawde had said, “The Jain godman helped me get well from my throat issue. His prayers helped me recover.” At a press conference, she explained, “People are taking this in the wrong way. I do not support superstitions; I support our faith and believe in my faith. All the false claims and derogatory comments about me are very shameful. All I said was that the Jain Maharaj helped me… he told me to say ‘Om,’ and with the vibration of the sound of Om, my throat came back to life.”