Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS): A group of activists allegedly belonging to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) abused and assaulted an elderly woman when she objected to their putting up a Ganeshotsav advertising banner outside her shop here without her permission and three of them were detained on Thursday.

Apparently irked over her blatant refusal, the MNS activists led by Vinod Argyle and others vented their ire by abusing her and then roughing her up till she fell on the footpath.

The woman - identified as Parkash Devi, reportedly told them to "go and hang the banner outside Raj Thackeray's home" and Argyle claimed she even abused them outside her medical shop.

Following a furore, late on Thursday, the Nagpada police have detained three people - Vinod Argyle, Raju Argyle and Satish Lad - and registered a criminal case under sections of the IPC, said an official.

In a video of the incident that occurred on Sunday but went viral this evening, the woman and the MNS activists were seen in a heated argument, and as she kept refusing, Argyle could be seen pulling her, pushing her, giving her a powerful punch in the stomach, and again shoving her as she fell on the pavement.

on Thursday, Argyle contended that the woman had abused him but said he was sorry for assaulting her even as the incident sparked a political row.

Nationalist Congress Party chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase slammed the MNS for the "brutal attack" on an elderly woman and demanded that MNS President Raj Thackeray should clarify his party's stance on dignity and respect to womenfolk.

"Such an incident in broad daylight is shocking and we condemn it. The Mumbai Police should registered a FIR and take action against the MNS activists involved, and Raj Thackeray should also act in the matter," he demanded.

Former Shiv Sena Mayor Kishori Pednekar slammed the MNS for the incident and urged Raj Thackeray to personally intervene and take action against the culprits.

MNS South Mumbai activist Keshav Muley and others immediately washed their hands off Argyle and others, saying that the purported video is "incomplete" and the party top brass will taken action in the matter.

Meanwhile, social media expressed outrage over how so many people mutely took photos or videos of the incident instead of stopping the political lumpens or rushing to the aid of the woman resisting them alone.