Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien
In a series of tweets on Sunday,
Mamata Banerjee's party attacked
Narendra Modi as "The Butcher of Gujarat" who could not "take care of his own wife."
"Butcher of Gujarat air-dropped into Bengal. He has no answers to Bengal's development model. So, he is making personal attacks," Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien tweeted on Sunday.
Mr O'Brien also referenced a recent controversy over Mr Modi's wife Jashodaben, from who he separated soon after marriage four decades ago.
The Trinamool attack came minutes after Mr Modi alleged that Mamata Banerjee has done more damage to West Bengal as chief minister of the state than the Left did.
At an election rally in Bengal, he targeted Ms Banerjee over last year's Saradha chit fund scam and for selling one of her paintings to the promoter of the massive small investor scheme that collapsed, leaving thousands of people bereft of their life's savings. (
Read: Saradha scam emerges as major issue in West Bengal polls)
"Mamataji, you are a good painter. Your works would sell for 4-5 lakhs. But why did one suddenly sell for Rs. 1.8 crore....who bought the painting? Why did he take your work? Bengal will not tolerate this," Mr Modi said, without naming Saradha promoter Sudipto Sen, who is jail.
"Once we come to power, the Saradha scam will be probed and culprits will be brought to book," Mr Modi said. Ms Banerjee's political rivals have alleged that her party has deep links with Mr Sen.
Opinion polls say Mamata Banerjee is likely to register a big win in her state in the general elections now on. She has been part of a BJP-led government before but has made it clear that she will not support an alliance led by Mr Modi.
Ms Banerjee counts heavily on the support of the 26 per cent Muslim voters in her state.
Mr Modi's detractors accuse him of not doing enough to prevent the 2002 riots in his state, Gujarat, in which more than a 1000 people, mostly Muslims died. A Supreme Court inquiry has cleared Mr Modi of allegations of complicity, a clean chit accepted by a court, but Mr Modi's rivals have continued to attack him.