The Shiv Sena today defended the controversial editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' about rape accused IPS officer Sunil Paraskar, saying the party was being defamed without understanding its stance on the issue.

"We agree that rape is heinous but it is also equally reprehensible to make (baseless) allegations of rape," an editorial in 'Saamana' said. "What we have said is clear, the rape victim should lodge the complaint immediately. If complaint is lodged after six months or a year, the medical evidence in such cases is invalid and the case assumes a different colour," the editorial said.

Claiming that the controversial Marathi editorial was distorted in translation, 'Saamana' said, "now, it is just a one-sided attack by those who don't want to understand what someone said or wrote."