Filmstar Shah Rukh Khan got a pleasant surprise from BJP today when the party criticised its long time ally Shiv Sena for its tirade against the matinee idol by calling him a traitor and tearing off posters of his forthcoming movie.

"We do not consider it proper to take recourse to violence as a form of protest," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, referring to the tearing down of posters of Khan's latest film My Name is Khan allegedly by Shiv Sainiks in Mumbai.

Prasad said there was no need for Sena activists to indulge in such activities. They were protesting against Khan's statement on the issue of buying Pakistani cricketer players for the IPL matches.

Prasad also criticised the Sena spokesperson for labelling Khan a traitor.

"We do not consider it correct to use such terms for Khan. His contribution to Bollywood and as a cultural ambassador is immense," Prasad said.

When asked if this shows the relations between the two
allies were strained, Prasad said, "We are friends and have been allies for a long time. But we are also two different political parties and it is well known that we have differences on some issues."

Shiv Sena and BJP had sparred on the issue of north Indians working in Maharashtra earlier this week.