Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamana questioned Nirmala Sitharaman's research on slump in auto sales.

Highlights PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are doing a "great job": Shiv Sena

But BJP leaders "mocking the deteriorating state of economy": Shiv Sena

Sena says questions on economic situation, employment can't be ignored

Shiv Sena criticised the centre on the economic situation, job loss and took a swipe at Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal for their comments on auto slump and the economic slowdown.

In its mouthpiece Saamana, the BJP ally on Friday said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were doing a "great job", their ministers were making their job tougher by "mocking the deteriorating state of economy and employment".

"Questions are being raised on the economic situation and employment, and we cannot ignore them. Central ministers are making PM Modi and Mr Shah's job tougher by mocking the deteriorating economic situation and employment," it said.

The party took a dig at Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for his ''Einstien discovered gravity'' comment and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her comment attributing the slump in automobile sales to the mindset of millennials who, she said, prefer to take Ola and Uber.

Saamana questioned Ms Sitharaman's "research" on slump in auto sales.

It said, "Our ministers are out to change the basics of science. But can the research of the ministers provide employment to lakhs of people who have lost their jobs?"

Saamna also invoked slump in Parle-G biscuits sales and metro rail projects to stress the point.

"After the inauguration of Mumbai-Maharashtra metro rail, the Chief Minister said around 60 lakh people will commute through it daily. Does it mean it will affect auto sales and cause unemployment," it questioned.

"Parle-G sales have slumped and 10 thousand people have lost their jobs. Shall we draw the conclusion that children are not eating biscuits and they are busy playing PUBG instead?"

While criticising the government over the economy and job loss, Saamana wrote, "Traders, farmers and employees are losing their sources of income and it is not related to Newton or Einstein. The same has been said by Manmohan Singh. The automobile industry has seen slowdown but the country's learned Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is not ready to admit it."

Saamana quoted former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to assert that the central government was simply managing newspaper headlines.

"If we want to understand the current situation of the economy, we should understand Manmohan Singh's statement on headlines management," it said.