West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday unleashed a torrent of vitriol against Narendra Modi, saying the country will be "ruined" and plunge into darkness if he comes to power, a day after a furious Trinamool Congress slammed him as "Butcher of Gujarat".
The no-holds barred attack against the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate came even as the ruling TMC demanded a public apology from him for doubting the integrity of Banerjee over the sale of her paintings and also complained to the Election Commission against him.
Rebutting the charge by her Gujarat counterpart that she had done more damage to West Bengal in 35 months of rule than the Left Front in 35 years, Banerjee also said that she did not need 'gyan' on development from the "architect of riots".
"If he comes to power, India will plunge into darkness. We do not need gyan (lecture) on development from the architect of riots," Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, said on Twitter, in signs that TMC may not forge any post-poll alliance with BJP.
"The man who is being projected as PM candidate, if he comes to power, India will be ruined." she added.
On Modi's allegation that she was indulging in vote bank politics ignoring non-Bengalis and spreading the red carpet for Bangladeshis, Banerjee told reporters that he did not know history.
Pointing out that immigrants from Bangladesh came to India under the Indira-Mujib agreement of 1971, she said, "Mr Modi does not know history. He does not know that speaking in Bangla does not make one a Bangladeshi."
She said "Elsewhere in India, anyone who speaks in Bangla is branded a Bangladeshi. This is discrimination."
Accusing the Gujarat Chief Minister of divisive politics, she said, "Mr Modi wants to divide Bengalis and non-Bengalis. This is deplorable. This is nonsense.
"Mr Modi wants to pack off Bengalis from India. Who is he to decide? He indulges in divisive politics. He wanted to divide Darjeeling. Now he wants to divide Hindus and Muslims in the state."
The TMC asked how can someone whose hands are "blood- stained" in 2002 Gujarat riots make personal attacks against the Chief Minister and raise questions about her sincerity.
"Either he has to prove this (charges on sale of paintings) or apologise publicly for this. Otherwise we will file a defamation case against him," TMC general secretary Mukul Roy told reporters in Kolkata.
Asked about TMC's strong reaction to Modi's criticism of Banerjee, BJP said it was "rattled beyond its comprehension" over the response to the party in West Bengal.
"They did not expect their fortress shaken up," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in Delhi.