Congress leader Rahul Gandhi neither understands Hindu religion nor democracy, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Monday in an attack on him for his "fight against shakti" remarks.

At a rally in Mumbai, Gandhi commented, "We are not fighting against a political party...We are not fighting against (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi, nor are we fighting against one person. But, one face has been projected in the forefront. "In Hindu dharma, there is a word 'shakti'. We are fighting against a 'shakti' (power). The question arises as to what is that 'shakti'...," he said at the INDIA bloc rally on Sunday.

The Congress MP's remarks invited strong criticism from BJP leaders. Asked about Gandhi's comments, Chief Minister Yadav, a senior BJP leader, said the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP has no understanding of Hinduism or democracy.

"Rahul Gandhi neither understands Hindu religion nor democracy. Neither does he know about a fair electoral process like EVM which increases the prestige of Indian democracy in the world," the CM told reporters at state BJP headquarters.

Yadav emphasised Congress leaders should also think whether they consider Gandhi a leader after these comments. The former Congress president, under attack for his "fight against shakti" remarks, on Monday clarified that he was not talking about any religious power, but the 'shakti' of unrighteousness, corruption and falsehood.

"The 'shakti' (power) that I mentioned, Modi ji is the mask of that power and we are fighting against it. It is such a power that today it has captured India's voice, India's institutions, the CBI, I-T, ED, Election Commission, the media, Indian industry and the entire constitutional structure of India in its clutches," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Earlier, the chief minister Yadav participated in a meeting at the BJP's state headquarters. Yadav, state BJP president VD Sharma, Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, among others, discussed Lok Sabha preparations in Mandla, Balaghat and Chhindwara constituencies, a party spokesperson said.

The party presidents of these districts and cabinet ministers were present in this meeting, the spokesman said.