MUMBAI, APRIL 25 The Shiv Sena and the Congress may agree on moral policing and banning dance bars but it’s still not known what the Vilasrao Deshmukh government makes of Sena’s latest wisdom on rape.

Four days after the rape of a 16-year-old by a police constable shocked Mumbai, the Shiv Sena today blamed the city’s ‘‘page three’’ culture for the incident in a front-page article in its mouthpiece Saamna.

An article in the Marathi daily described the attacked as ‘‘inhuman’’ but cautioned youngsters against bold fashion trends, saying ‘‘low-waist jeans and mini skirts’’ are symptomatic of the breakdown of Indian culture and tradition.

‘‘There seems to be a competition among youngsters to show their undergarments in the name of ‘below-waist’ fashion,’’ says the article. ‘‘It is no longer feasible for a family to roam on Chowpatty. To see girls dangle a cigarette openly is worrisome. If a man is incited by such clothes, who can one blame?’’

Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, the first Sena leader to express a comment on the issue, faithfully echoed the paper’s view.

Another senior leader, Pramod Navalkar, said, ‘‘We are compromising with our culture. The manner in which girls behave and socialise today is exceeding all limits. In the good old days, girls from Ghatkopar would not venture to Chowpatty.’’

Unlike the Shiv Sena though, its saffron ally, the BJP, has been in the forefront condemning the rape. Legislators Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Raj Purohit have supported residents’ protests and BJP Mahila Aghadi held a morcha on Friday.

Now, Raj Purohit, the BJP MLA from Mumbadevi, has offered Rs 5 lakh to construct a ‘‘big, open and transparent chowky’’ at Marine Drive.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner A N Roy promised a speedy trial in the alleged rape of the 16-year-old by police constable Sunil Atmaram More.

‘‘We are trying to complete the investigation as soon as possible and we will submit the chargesheet before the stipulated time,’’ he said. ‘‘We have even sent a proposal asking the government for a speedy trial.’’