Mumbai, Sep 4 (TIWN) A no-holds-barred verbal war erupted on Friday between Maharashtra's political parties and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for her recent statements that are viewed as denigrating the state in general and the Mumbai Police in particular.

Top leaders from the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress, and opposition Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, slammed Kangana for her remarks, while protests erupted in Mumbai and other cities against the actress.

As a huge row snowballed - in which Kangana dragged the Palghar Sadhu lynching incident, labelled Mumbai as "addicted to blood", dared the Maratha Pride of Maharashtra, alleged the existence of an "Islam-dominated" Bollywood, besides POK - an embarassed Bharatiya Janata Party, and some of its leaders who openly supported Kangana till Thursday, abruptly dumped her like a hot potato.

Amid protests by Shiv Sena activists, burning Kangana's effigy in the city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and other cities, strong reactions from various quarters, the normally calm state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh (NCP) was ruffled enough to "strongly condemn" Ranaut's statements, albeit without taking her name.