A TORY MSP has accused "the governing benches" at Holyrood of being involved in a "targeted" campaign to undermine him.

Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservatives health spokesman, who also works as a GP, made the dramatic allegation at the end of First Minister's Questions this afternoon.

During his point of order he said that comments he had given in a newspaper interview, while accurately reported, had been misrepresented by the SNP MSP and nurse Emma Harper in the Scottish Parliament last Tuesday.

Gulhane's intervention referred to a point of order made by Harper in the Holyrood chamber at the end of that day's business. He did not say which newspaper had carried the report which Harper had referred to when she spoke.

Both MSPs sit on Holyrood's health committee and the row involved its latest inquiry.

Speaking this afternoon Gulhane said that Harper had accused him on Tuesday of spreading misinformation, disrespecting the convener and "caused targeted abuse of members".

READ MORE: Dr Sandesh Gulhane slammed as 'dishonest hypocrite' over wearing NHS lanyard

"The member spoke for three minutes and 27 seconds, and I will be much briefer as the truth is often quick and simple," he said.

Gulhane said statements he made in the newspaper article were correct but he "had no control" over wider editorial views presented in the article.

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He went on: "Nowhere in the article did I disrespect the convener [of the health committee], the convener has never spoken to me directly on this matter. And I'll say here that I do respect the convener.

"Finally, a member of Indian descent, who was born in England, now proudly living in Scotland, I am well aware of abuse and to have accused me of causing targeted abuse of a member is outrageous," he said.

READ MORE: Sandesh Gulhane accuses Nicola Sturgeon of 'misrepresenting' his views

"Presiding Officer, there seems to be targeted misrepresenting coming from the government benches, seeking to undermine me with Emma Harper misrepresenting me just weeks after her leader."

He added: "I seek the Presiding Officer's help in securing an apology from the member."

After Gulhane's point of order Johnstone said that on matters of the code of conduct, the issue was for the committee and added that with regard Harper's contribution "there was a mechanism" by which any inaccurate contributions could be amended.

Harper said on Tuesday in the Holyrood chamber her point of order related to section 7 of the “Code of Conduct for Members of the Scottish Parliament”, as it refers to members’ conduct in committees.

"I seek your advice on a situation that has occurred, in that Sandesh Gulhane MSP has misrepresented, in the press, the intent of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s proposed inquiry into alternative pathways into primary care and has made comment in the media that has promulgated misinformation, undermined the committee’s work and disrespected the convener and other colleagues," she said.

"Yesterday, Dr Gulhane gave a comment to a newspaper that appears to uphold a false intention of an inquiry, which has been agreed to by all colleagues across the parties, into the availability, capacity and public uptake of alternative health pathways in community settings.

"An agreed press release, which quoted the convener, went out from the committee, but a newspaper has decided wilfully to misinterpret the intent and has reported that the Government wants to curtail access to general practitioners and, specifically, that our convener wishes for that result.

"As you and most members of this Parliament understand, committee inquiries and scrutiny are not Government work or Government policy design, and the comments of any convener are not representative of any party or Government position.

"I am certain that all committee conveners pride themselves on upholding that important standard.

"By failing to challenge that false assertion about the committee’s work and, in fact, upholding the false assertion that our inquiry is a Scottish National Party policy move, it is my belief that Dr Gulhane has undermined the committee’s work, falsely pre-empted any committee recommendations and deviated from an agreed committee purpose with regard to the inquiry.

"As a result of Dr Gulhane’s actions, several of his colleagues have repeated the false assertions online, which I believe has been the cause of targeted abuse and phone calls to constituency offices, including mine and, I believe, that of the convener.

"I would be grateful for your guidance on how that deviation from the members’ code of conduct can be addressed."

Responding to Harper, Johnstone said on Tuesday the matter was not a point of ordee and that conduct at committees is, in the first instance, a matter for the convener of the relevant committee.

Johnstone added: "If a member wishes to raise a concern under the members’ code of conduct, the code of conduct sets out how to do that."

The SNP have been approached for comment.