'Slaps' and 'squats' in West Bengal's free-for-all

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's "slap" remark against Narendra Modi resonated in battleground West Bengal Thursday, while she shot another barb at the prime minister, saying he will have to do a "100 squats holding his ears" if he failed to prove that her candidates were coal mafia.

The West Bengal chief minister bristled with anger at Modi's allegation at an election rally where he said TMC leaders were involved in illegal coal mining. She said she will withdraw party nominees from all the 42 Lok Sabha seats if even one was found involved in such activity.

"And if you (Modi) have lied, you will have to do 100 squats holding your ears," she told a rally in Bankura, a couple of hours after the prime minister addressed an election meeting in the same Lok Sabha constituency.

She was responding to Modi's allegation that TMC leaders are making money from illegal open cast coal mines, while labourers are not getting their wages.

At his rally, the prime minister raked up the "tight slap" remark made by Banerjee on Tuesday.

"I heard that Mamata didi wants to slap Modi; I respect you, call you didi (elder sister). Your slap will be like blessing to me," Modi said with a hint of sarcasm.

Furious at being repeatedly termed as a party of 'tolabaj' (extortionists) by the prime minister, the TMC supremo had said, "Narendra Modi should get a tight slap of democracy."