MUMBAI: Saamna has lashed out at BJP for questioning Shiv Sena ’s claim on Mumbai. In a scathing editorial on Friday, Saamna has likened BJP to the British-Portuguese “pirates” who had an eye on the city.

In a reply to Shiv Sena MLAs’ recent criticism that the government’s budget had not allocated adequate funds to Mumbai, BJP had pooh-poohed the Sena’s clout. Citing the state assembly figures, BJP had said that with 14 seats in Mumbai as against the BJP’s tally of 15, Sena had forfeited its claim on the city. Reacting sharply to BJP’s argument, Saamna said the Sena’s affection for Mumbai cannot be counted in terms of the state assembly seats. “A city’s ownership can’t be determined on the tally of assembly seats. It is determined by those who shed their blood for the city...Without the Sena, Mumbai would have been a Union territory,” stated the Sena morninger.

