Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday hit back again at Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, saying creative liberty should be used to save lives, not to take them.

"Creativity should be used to save lives, not to take them," Ramadoss told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi when asked about his reaction on Khan's recent comment about smoking in public.

Khan, at a function recently, had reportedly said: "I think there should be a huge amount of creative freedom that should be allowed in cinema and arts."

Commenting on the minister's remark, he said: "One should not go around picking on small little things."

The war of words between Ramadoss, a staunch supporter of the anti-tobacco lobby in Parliament, and Khan, who supports creative liberty, began when the minister slammed the actor for smoking in public and even during a cricket match.