Kicking off a storm, the Shiv Sena called for a ban on burqa in public places. However, there was a war of words between senior party leaders within hours of the demand being made in an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece.

The demand referred to the deadly terror attacks in Sri Lanka and the burqa ban imposed by the country. Sena argument is that burqa covers the face and hinders identification. It called for similar measures to be introduced in India, which decried by politicians like All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

The Saamna editorial questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he proposed a similar ban in India and said this was "as gutsy (a decision) as the surgical strikes".

The newspaper has Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray as the editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut as the executive editor.

Saamna alleged that the burqa was used to perpetrate terrorist activities and pointed to similar proscriptions in France and Turkey. The editorial said the burqa had no sanction in Islam.

"The country which saw redemption from the LTTE terror attacks is now a victim of Islamic terrorism. Hindustan, especially J&K is affected by this very Islamic terror. When will we take strong steps like Sri Lanka, France, New Zealand and Britain? It is true that the present government proscribed triple talaq through a law and stopped the exploitation of Muslim women. But, after the bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, clothing like burqa and niqab that hinders identification should be banned. PM Modi must... ban burqa and niqab in Hindustan on grounds of national welfare," the editorial said.

Sena spokesperson and MLC Neelam Gorhe tried to distance the party from the remarks and claimed it was Raut's opinion. "It may be a personal opinion on the present situation. This is not the official position of the Sena as a party," she said.

When contacted, Raut said he was reiterating a stance taken by (late Shiv Sena supremo) Bal Thackeray. "The position taken by Saamna was put forth repeatedly by Bal Thackeray in public. Even reformers from the Indian Muslim community have called for the burqa ban," he stressed, adding that "perhaps Neelam Gorhe understood the sorrow of women better."