As PM stakes hots up, Mamata says most ferocious tiger is in Bengal

Nursing national ambitions, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted that the "most ferocious tiger" is in Bengal after she took a jibe at Narendra Modi, saying he is no tiger to think that he has already become the prime minister.

The Trinamool Congress chief made this remark as she poured more vitriol on the BJP prime ministerial candidate after the 'butcher of Gujarat' attack by her party, claiming that 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 told an election rally in Kolkata alleging that the person who pursued divisive politics cannot 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 on religion," Banerjee said.

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

Confident that her party would emerge as the "third largest" after Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee recently did not rule out a TMC-led government at the Centre while dismissing the possibility of supporting BJP and Congress.

"Our party will emerge as the third largest party after the Lok Sabha polls. Electoral reform will be our first priority if a TMC-led government is formed at the Centre," she said, as she pitched for a national role while releasing the party manifesto in March.

Banerjee also accused a section of media of playing into the hands of corporate entities to support Modi.

Image: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee