Salman Khan’s upcoming film Dabangg 3 courted its first controversy on Thursday when pictures of a ‘shivling’ covered with wooden planks during the film’s shoot surfaced online, supposedly hurting the religious sentiments of some people and triggering a verbal spat between the BJP and Congress.

Directed by Prabhu Deva, Dabangg 3 went on floors on Monday in the holy city of Maheswar in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh.

Issuing a clarification on the matter, the film’s line producer Harsh Dave said, “We had constructed the perimeter for the Shivlinga and had put two people on the side to guard it, to avoid people from walking on it. We had no intention of hurting anyone's religious sentiments. We have relocated the set.”

Salman also addressed the local media and cleared the air about the issue.

Dabangg 3 is produced by Salman Khan Films in association with Saffron Broadcast and Media. The film is scheduled for release this December.