The Shiv Sena on Saturday asked Amitabh Bachchan to follow the example of Rajinikant who stood up for his adopted state, but the Bollywood superstar retorted saying he had done enough for Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena's Marathi-language mouthpiece Saamna praised Rajinikant for participating in a protest in Chennai on Friday to oppose Karnataka's stance on a water project.

While Rajinikant is Maharashtrian by birth and raised in Bangalore, he sided with Tamil Nadu, the state that made him famous, the newspaper said and added: "Many actors who live in Mumbai have become stars here, but when it comes to taking a stand on any issue of Maharashtra, many of them including Amitabh Bachchan back off."

Talking to reporters at a public function, Bachchan replied: "No one can question what I have done for Mumbai. If you do not know what I have done for Mumbai, then you cannot accuse me."

Late on Saturday evening, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray distanced himself from the Saamna comments. The party even issued a statement saying that Thackeray and Bachchan enjoyed excellent personal relations and sought to clarify misconceptions created by the editorial.

In February, Bachchan was targeted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly promoting Uttar Pradesh while doing precious little for Maharashtra.