Chennai,  The BJP and Congress on Monday engaged a war of words over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's meeting with controversial Christian pastor, George Ponniah, at Kanniyakumari during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

BJP woman's wing President Vanathi Sreenivasan, in a statement, sought an apology from the Congress leader over his meeting with Ponniah and also demanded that he clarify if he subscribed to the views aired by the controversial Christian pastor on Hinduism.

She also asked what had transpired between Ponniah and Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader does not have any time for Hindus and Hindu temples, but finds time to meet controversial people like George Ponniah.

During his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi met the Christian priest George Ponnaih and the priest, in a video clipping, purportedly told him that "Jesus was a real god unlike Shakthi and other gods and goddesses".

As this has turned into a major controversy, the priest stated that he had not insulted the Hindu religion.

Meanwhile, the Congress has come out strongly against the BJP on the issue and with party leader Jairam Ramesh, in a statement on Monday, saying that "the BJP hate factory was sharing tweets about Rahul Gandhi which had no relevance".

Gandhi is now in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the 3,570-km-long Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir.

On Monday, he met the Latin Catholic priests who are agitating against the Vizinjam port.