The Trinamul Congress returned fire on Sunday evening, responding sternly to Narendra Modi’s political attacks against Mamata Banerjee and her government, while the Left and the Congress asked him to produce proof to buttress his allegation that they had a secret understanding with the ruling party in Bengal.

“First of all, Narendra Modi knows nothing, he is awgyo (uninformed). Second, he is calling Mamata nirmawm (cruel)? He is a nawradhawm (sub-human)…. Farmers have been peacefully agitating for over 70 days under the open sky in harsh winter conditions. He never even bothered to speak to them. Who is nirmawm here?” asked Trinamul vice-president Saugata Roy.

Roy called the Prime Minister out on the “lie” of Mamata supposedly losing her cool at “Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother India)” slogans. In his speech, Modi tried to attack Mamata over her alleged anti-national leanings, launching into an abstruse conspiracy theory on the alleged mega international ploy to defame India.

“Again, an outright lie. Mamata does not lose her temper at Bharat Mata slogans,” said Roy.

“But if somebody raises a politico-religious slogan — “Jai Shri Ram” — at a central government event to honour Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (at Victoria Memorial on January 23), her anger at that is justified.”

“About that conspiracy theory… it is typical of communal forces. Whenever they feel cornered, they claim the entire nation is being conspired against, targeted…. There is no conspiracy at play,” he added.

The Left and the Congress took umbrage at the “fixing” accusation.

“They say that the Left is non-existent…. Then why is he worried about the Left,” said Left legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty before adding that the “real fixing” was between the BJP and Trinamul.

“I am challenging him.... He is the Prime MInister and is not expected to say what any common man sitting in a tea stall would say. I challenge him to produce proof of what he accused,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan, a Congress veteran, said: “It is common knowledge that Trinamul was birthed and raised by the BJP.”

“What the Prime Minister alleged only exposed the reality of the Congress-Left alliance becoming the real, credible alternative here,” he added.