The Trinamul Congress on Tuesday lashed out at Narendra Modi over his bitter criticism of the party, along with other participants in the June 23 Patna meeting of the national Opposition, returning fire over his alleged connections with Gautam Adani and the treatment of minorities during his premiership.

Mamata Banerjee’s party said the Prime Minister simply did not have the face to make such comments.

“Allegations against him include that he has blindly backed Gautam Adani, accused of blatant corruption. But Adani is the main financier of Modi, so no action is taken against him. Modi does not have the moral authority,” said Trinamul’s Dum Dum MP Saugata Roy.

“He is totally mired in crony capitalism, for running his party, and for bolstering his economic policies…. When he inevitably loses power, his connection with Adani, besides everything else, would be exposed,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Modi said Opposition leaders who gathered in Patna are only capable of “guaranteeing” graft of at least Rs 20 lakh crore.

During an interaction with the BJP’s party workers, Modi claimed the Opposition can only guarantee scams, and went on to recount various corruption allegations against some of the Patna meeting attendees, such as the Congress, the RJD, the NCP, and the DMK, besides Trinamul.

In a caustic attack, Modi said Trinamul is accused of scams of Rs 23,000 crore, including the Rose Valley, Saradha, teacher recruitment, cattle-rustling, coal pilferage. He said the people of Bengal would never forget these instances.

“If they have a guarantee of scams, then Modi also has one guarantee. My guarantee is that of action against every scamster, action against every thief. Those who have looted the poor and the country, they will be held accountable,” he said, adding that the Opposition’s common minimum programme was to save themselves from action against corruption.

Trinamul said nobody could be called corrupt unless proven guilty in court.

“Modi has been in power for nine years. He has not been able to get any of the Congress leaders convicted, nor any Trinamul leaders convicted. All this is hawabazi (diversionary tactic) by Modi,” said Roy.

“He is only misusing CBI and ED to circle the Opposition,” he added. “So Modi’s statement shows he is scared of all the Opposition parties coming together. We have been able to get under his skin, he is scared of losing power.”

Roy also said Modi should rather answer the allegations made against him byformer US President Barack Obama.