The ongoing tussle between the Shiv Sena and BJP over the central government's decision to shift the International Financial Service Center (IFSC) from Mumbai to Gujarat's Gandhinagar intensified on Monday with the Shiv Sena attacking both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for this move.

In another firebrand editorial published in its mouthpiece ''Saamana,'' the Shiv Sena pointed out that in 2015, the Narendra Modi-led central government had rejected Mumbai and Bengaluru's offer and decided to shift the IFSC to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It added that BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was then the Chief Minister of Maharashtra but he had not raised any objection to this move by the Centre. Fadnavis is currently, as well, supporting Gujarat instead of Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena alleged. 

The 'Saamana' editorial said that some leaders in the BJP are now asking what is the contribution of Maharashtra is in terms of the country's economic development. "This question causes anger in the minds of the ordinary Maharashtrian as one day they may also raise doubts on the contributions of Shivaji and others who have laid down their lives for this country," the Saamana editorial said, adding that the people who are asking these questions should be tied to a pole near Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai.

Upping the ante against the BJP, the Saamana editorial further mentioned that these 'shameless' people live in Maharashtra and they are 'disloyal' to their own state. The Sena claimed that Mumbai feeds around 50% population of the country and 30% tax of the country comes only from Mumbai and anyone who is unwilling to accept these facts does not deserve to live in Maharashtra. 

Taking a potshot at Prime Minister Modi, the editorial pointed out that although the decision to shift IFSC to Gandhinagar may sound technically correct, it hides the Prime Minister's inherent 'bias' towards his home state. The editorial added that Modi has already caused a great deal of damage to Maharashtra by shifting several industries and financial institutions from Maharashtra to Gujarat. 

Launching a scathing attack against former Chief Minister Fadnavis, the newspaper wrote that Shiv Sena has consistently raised its voice against the central government's decision but Fadnavis is not supporting the state government. The paper, high on rhetoric, even said that a day will come when the people of the state will drown these people in the Arabian Sea.

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar had also raised his objections against the Centre's decision and had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revisit his decision regarding the shifting of the IFSC authority from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

"The Centre’s decision to locate the newly created International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Authority at Gujarat's Gandhinagar will not only cause financial damage to the country, but also bring international discredit by undermining the importance of Mumbai," Pawar had written in his letter to the Prime Minister on Saturday.