KOLKATA:  A day after it declared Narendra Modi “the butcher of Gujarat,” Mamata Banerjee’s party said that it is Mr Modi who needs to apologise.”He has said that a painting by Mamata Banerjee sold for 1.86 crore. He has to apologise for that,” said Mukul Roy, a top leader of the Trinamool Congress. “He (Modi) violated all decency while speaking at a rally,” Mr Roy added.
Mr Modi, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, was addressing an election meeting in Bengal on Sunday when he professed that Ms Banerjee “has damaged Bengal morin 35 months than the Left did in 34 years.”He also asked why a painting by Ms Banerjee, who was elected chief minister in 2011, had commanded a huge price. “All paintings were sold by cheque,” said the Trinamool Congress today.
Mr Modi did not name the businessman who bought that painting, but he was alluding to a controversial entrepreneur whose chit fund scheme collapsed, devastating lakhs of small investors. Top Trinamool leaders have been accused of links to the businessman.Ms Banerjee’s party reacted with a strong statement that labelled Mr Modi “the butcher of Gujarat”, referring to the riots in 2002 in which more than a thousand people were killed in communal violence in Mr Modi’s home state. A Supreme Court inquiry has said there is no evidence that Mr Modi, as chief minister, fuelled the riots. A court in Gujarat has upheld that report.
The BJP today said that Ms Banerjee’s party has proven that it cannot tolerate criticism. “Well it’s too late…He hasn’t used this phrase for the last two years, but a slight criticism of Trinamool Congress and they react in this manner… Trinamool can be criticised. Their leaders must accept this, criticism doesn’t mean that we are their personal enemies or anything,” said the party’s Arun Jaitley. Mr Modi last night tweeted, “I have great respect for her but I wonder where did Mamata Didi’s Mamata go? She put water on hopes of people & is doing just what Left did. (sic)”

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