Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday questioned Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on his silence when allies of the Congress like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam made objectionable remarks about Sanatan Dharma.

Addressing a public meeting in Surajpur ahead of filing of nominations of BJP candidates Bhulan Singh Maravi (Premnagar seat), Laxmi Rajwade (Bhatgaon) and Shakuntala Singh Porthe (Pratappur-ST), the former Union minister said people will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma.

Assembly polls will be held in Chhattisgarh on November 7 and 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.

"Bhupesh Baghel says he respects Lord Ram and is developing 'Ram Van Gaman Path'. But I want to ask him why he is silent when DMK leader and son of Tamil Nadu CM calls Sanatan Dharma a disease like dengue, tuberculosis and AIDS? What kind of joke is this," he asked.

"We (BJP) respect every faith. In Bihar, state education minister Chandra Shekhar, the chele (disciple) of Lalu Prasad Yadav, says reading Ramcharitmanas is like consuming poison. Can you speak against other faiths? Hindustan will not tolerate the insult of Sanatan Dharma," Prasad asserted.

Attacking Baghel, the senior BJP leader said people will answer (and show their displeasure) when leaders like the former remain silent on such insults to Sanatan Dharma.

Asserting that the BJP espoused development for all, Prasad said money is sent to the accounts of farmers from all segments of society (as part of welfare schemes), and vaccines were administered to "every Hindustani".

"Did only Hindus get vaccines and not Muslims," he asked.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.