MUMBAI: Mumbai police have arrested 6 Shiv Sena workers in connection with the paint attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni , who organized the book launch of former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri here on Monday evening.

The six arrested workers are Gajanan Patil, Dinesh Prasad, Ashok Waghmare, Prakash Husbe, Samadhan Jugdhav and Venkatesh Nair.

The attack in the morning led to an outrage and was strongly condemned. However, Shiv Sena justified the attack and threatened to disrupt the programme.

READ ALSO: Khurshid Kasuri's book launch: Black paint smeared on Sudheendra Kulkarni's face

Defending the action of party activists, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said "smearing ink is a very mild form of democratic protest. They are so upset about ink. Imagine when our soldiers are killed and their blood is spilled. It is not ink, it is the blood of our soldiers".

However, the function to launch Kasuri's book "Neither a hawk, nor a dove - An insider's account of Pakistan's foreign policy" was held on schedule at Nehru Centre amid tight security.

READ ALSO: Despite Shiv Sena's paint attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni, Kasuri's book launched in Mumbai

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also slammed the Shiv Sena for the protest.

"We cannot endorse Kasuri, but can't let our state turn into banana republic. The rule of law has prevailed. I think the way things have happened has brought a bad name to our state. There could have been better ways to put forth a point of view," he said reacting to the paint attack.

READ ALSO: Shiv Sena's paint attack brought disrepute to Maharashtra, says CM Devendra Fadnavis