A day after Amit Shah made objectionable remarks against Mamata Banerjee from a public rally in East Midnapore, linking her paintings to chit fund proceeds, the Chief Minister on Wednesday returned fire questioning the BJP president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sense of civility in dealing with Opposition politicians while the ruling Trinamool Congress dashed off a defamation notice to the saffron boss seeking public apology for bringing TMC supremo to disrepute.

“I have no links with chit funds. No one can show any chit fund money coming to my account. I can openly challenge Modi babu to prove that I have links with chit fund or else face the consequence. We have already sent a notice to him (Amit Shah) and are preparing for a defamation case” for what he said on Tuesday, Banerjee told in a meeting.

She said the Prime Minister and Shah were “oafish in their conduct and lacked basic courtesy in dealing with others,” adding peddling lies were their main political business.

On Shah’s allegations that the Hindus could not organise Durga Pujas and Sarswati Pujas fearlessly in Bengal, Banerjee said “I call upon them to prove their remarks. If they cannot prove their charges they will quit politics or I will,” Banerjee thundered rejecting the BJP president’s claims that she was aping the Central schemes and selling them in her own name in Bengal to garner votes.

“We started Kanyashri and similar schemes way back in 2013 whereas their Beti bachao, beti padhao came much, much later and here they are claiming that I am copying their schemes. This is absolute lie and they are selling lies only,” Banerjee said. Incidentally Banerjee had already receive international awards for her schemes like Kanyashree.

Meanwhile Bengal Minister and State Mahila Trinamool Congress president Chandrima Bhattacharya dashed off a defamation notice to Shah calling upon “you to either prove your statements and/or forthwith withdraw the same and apologise before the public as otherwise it would be a constraint on our bar to take appropriate legal steps against you for which you would be held responsible.” With elections nearing and 42 Lok Sabha seats of Bengal going high on stakes the rival parties have upped the ante even as the BJP has fixed its target on 23 seats while Banerjee going on record saying she will not let the BJP take even one seat from the State.