Two days after Mamata Banerjee said she wanted to give him a "tight slap of democracy", Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his response while campaigning in Bengal. At a rally in Purulia today, PM Modi said coming from "Didi", he would consider a slap a blessing. He also doubled down on his "tolabaazi" or extortion allegation that had provoked Mamata Banerjee's comments.
"I am told Didi has said she wants to slap me. Didi, oh Didi. I call you Didi. I respect you. Your slap will be a blessing for me," said the Prime Minister.
"I will accept it, but I will also say this - if you had the guts to slap your colleagues, who stole money from the poor via chit funds, you would not be so scared," he remarked, keeping up his relentless attack on the Trinamool chief on chit fund scandals and "tolabaazi" or extortionist tax.
"If you had the guts to slap the tolabaaz, then the Triple T....TMC Tolabaazi Tax...you would not be ruined by them," PM Modi said.
Responding to the Prime Minister, Ms Banerjee said. "I have never said I will slap the PM. I had said slap of democracy, try to understand the language."