The BJP's ruling ally in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, on Wednesday declared its equivocal support to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria who is embroiled in a controversy over his meeting with former IPL chief Lalit Modi in London last year.

"Politics is being played over who Lalit Modi met in the past five to 10 years... Firstly, it was a union minister, then a chief minister, and now Mumbai's powerful police chief. A nonsensical attempt is being made to drag him in the dock," the Sena said in an edit in the party mouthpiece Saamana.