Bhopal, Oct 19 (IANS): A day after former Chief Minister Kamal Nath allegedly used the word 'item' against Madhya Pradesh's Dalit woman Minister Imarti Devi, the leaders of the ruling BJP led by the Chief Minister held two-hour 'silent' sit-in protests on Monday at different places in the state.

They also demanded an apology from the senior Congress leader.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the party's sit-in near Mahatma Gandhi's statue near the old Vidhan Sabha building here in the presence of ministerial colleagues Narottam Mishra, Bhupendra Singh, Vishwas Sarang, and Kamal Patel apart from state BJP leaders.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia held a similar protest in Indore's Regal Crossing area along with party MP Shankar Lalwani and Minister Tulsi Silawat.

State BJP President Vishnudatt Sharma held the sit-in in Gwalior's Phool Bagh, where Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and former MP Prabhat Jha were also present.

While campaigning in Dabra (Reserve) segment in Gwalior district on Sunday, Kamal Nath had allegedly called Imarti Devi an 'item', making the BJP turn aggressive. The Congress however accused the BJP of trying to misinterpret certain words.