Mumbai: Sending out a strong message to ally Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tonight disapproved of its protests against former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri here and asserted that he "can't let the state turn into a banana republic".

Hours after Shiv Sena activists blackened the face of ORF chief Sudheendra Kulkarni over his refusal to cancel the function to launch Kasuri's book, Fadnavis said, "we cannot endorse Mr Kasuri" but there could have been better ways to put forth the point of view.