Kolkata: In a series of tweets on Sunday,Mamata Banerjee's party attackedNarendra Modi as "The Butcher of Gujarat" who could not "take care of his own wife."
"The Butcher of Gujarat could not take care of his own wife. How will he take care of this great nation? Butcher of Gujarat air-dropped into Bengal. He has no answers to Bengal's development model. So, he is making personal attacks," the party said in a statement this evening.
The onslaught which cited the 2002 riots of Gujarat which took place during Mr Modi's first term as chief minister came minutes after Mr Modi, now the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, said Ms Banerjee, as chief minister of West Bengal, has done more damage to the state in 35 months than the Left had done in 35 years.
He also targeted Ms Banerjee for the Saradha chit fund scam and for selling one of her paintings for Rs.1.8 crore to the owner of a local businessman who is now in jail.
"Mamataji I respect you. But your party is getting stained, it's not good for you. You are a good painter. Your works would sell for 4-5 lakhs. But why did one suddenly sell for Rs. 1.8 crore. We are proud that there is such an artist among us. But who bought the painting? Why did he take your work? Bengal will not tolerate," he said.
Mr Modi did not name him, but he was alluding to Sudipta Sen, whose company promoted a massive small investor scheme that collapsed, leaving thousands of people bereft of their savings. (Read: Saradha scam emerges as major issue in West Bengal polls)
Several members of Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress are suspected to have had close links to Mr Sen. One of her party's Rajya Sabha MPs, Kunal Ghosh is currently in jail in connection with the Saradha scam.
Mr Modi also declared that, "Once we come to power, the Saradha scam will be probed and culprits brought to book." The Saradha scam is currently in Supreme Court. A petitioner has sought a CBI probe into the case which the Mamata Banerjee government has opposed.
Ms Banerjee has made it clear that she will not join an alliance led by the BJP, which, under Mr Modi, is expected to win the maximum seats.
Ms Banerjee participated in the BJP-led government that was headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But her support base includes the Muslims of Bengal.
Mr Modi's detractors say the riots in Gujarat have exposed him as a divisive leader who is feared by minorities. A Supreme Court inquiry has cleared Mr Modi of allegations of complicity.