India will burn if Narendra Modi becomes PM: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Pouring more vitriol on Narendra Modi after the "butcher of Gujarat" jibe by her party, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said the country would burn if he became the PM.

"India will go into the dark ages. India will burn if he becomes Prime Minister," Banerjee said at an election rally on Tuesday, alleging that the person "who pursued divisive politics" could not lead the country.

Claiming that Modi was already thinking that he had become the PM, she said, "He is no tiger. There are many leaders like Mayawati, Jayalalithaa, Mulayamji. They are also tigers.

"And, the most ferocious tiger is the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is in Bengal," Banerjee said.

"A leader who will lead India has to be like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji, Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel. Not like a person whose ideology is based on dividing the country on the basis of religion," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

Banerjee alleged that a person who was accused of directing riots should not lead a multi-lingual, multi-religious country like India.

On Modi's remarks about a painting by her being sold for Rs 1.8 crore, Mamata said, "He should cross check facts before making any comment. Someone is saying something in his ears and he is blabbering it out, it's a pity. The person who can't control his mouth, how can he control the country?"

Banerjee also accused a section of media of playing into the hands of corporate entities to support Modi. "Please don't lecture me about governance and politics," Banerjee said.