Mamata dares Modi to prove she took money for her paintings

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove that she took money selling her paintings.

Her reaction came a day after BJP president Amit Shah claimed that her works were bought by chit fund owners for crore of rupees.

Addressing a public rally in Birbhum, the Trinamool Congress supremo called the BJP leaders "uncivil" and said her party will soon file a defamation suit.

"Modi 'Babu'... Prove that I have taken a single penny for selling my paintings. They (BJP) talk like ill-mannered, uncivil people. They have no courtesy.

"Our party has already sent a notice... Soon a defamation suit will be filed," she said.

Shah on Tuesday accused the Bengal government of trying to protect the chit fund owners in the state as some of them bought Banerjee's paintings by paying whooping amounts.

Accusing the Centre of trying to run a "parallel administration" in the states run by non-BJP parties, Banerjee warned that her government also had a number of agencies to look into the economic offences and other crimes committed by BJP leaders.

"We also have a number of agencies to look into economic offences. We have the CID, the Special Task Force (STF). Do not think that we will tolerate everything."

She claimed the BJP should expire politically as it was edging closer to its "expiry date" -- a reference to the general elections.

"We are not dead. Your expiry date has been declared. Please expire politically. We will be very happy to see that."

Refuting Shah's claims that Durga Pujas and Saraswati Pujas were being obstructed by a certain community in Bengal, Banerjee claimed there were no impediments in holding religious festivities in the state.

She also challenged Shah and the BJP to prove their charges or leave politics.

"I will quit politics if I am proven wrong," she added.

--IANS

mgr/oeb/mr