Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury said on Tuesday that allegations being made against her were part of a "political conspiracy" to divert attention from the "actual issue" of attacks on women by "lumpen elements" trying to impose fundamentalist ideologies.

"Of course it is a conspiracy. They are trying to divert and dilute the actual issue and politicising it," the Women and Child Development Minister told reporters outside the Parliament House.

She was responding when asked to comment on a criminal case being filed against her before the chief judicial magistrate court in Mangalore yesterday by a group of people including Mangalore mayor Ganesh Hosabettu.

While maintaining that she was not yet aware of the case, she hit back at those who had filed the case, saying that "instead of rectifying themselves, these goondas and lumpen elements come out of jail and make statements and that is accepted by the government. I am surprised...they should look into their own backyard before they talk about anyone".

The case was reportedly lodged after Chowdhury did not apologise for her statements about Mangaloreans in the three-day deadline given to her.

The complaint said Chowdhury had cast aspersions on the people of Mangalore by stating that the place had been Talibanised.