The BJP said the criminal case filed against party candidate from Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat in Orissa for an alleged hate speech was a conspiracy by the Naveen Patnaik government.

The Kandhamal administration yesterday filed a case against Ashok Sahu, under various sections of the IPC for promoting enmity between classes, for allegedly making a hate speech on April 5. The FIR said Sahu directly "accused Christians of killing VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati".