AMRAVATI (TIP): BSP chief Mayawati on March 27 took on BJP prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi, warning voters he would plunge the country into communal and caste strife. “As chief minister of Gujarat in 2002, he could not control riots in his state that saw Muslims being killed in large numbers,” she said.

“If he becomes prime minister, there will be communal riots all over the country.” Addressing a huge public rally in this main city of western Vidarbha, she appealed to voters not to get fooled by the lofty promises and falsehoods contained in the manifestos of national parties. Referring to Modi, she said his promises of development should not be trusted. “The NDA is now saying it’ll transform the country with Modi’s development ideas,” the four-time UP chief minister said.

“I want to ask what did the NDA do when it was in power at the Centre for six years.” The attendance at the public meeting was easily double of what was seen at Modi’s rally in Wardha on March 20. Mayawati launched the election campaign of all 10 of her party candidates contesting from Vidarbha. For the Amravati Lok Sabha seat, which is reserved for scheduled castes, her party candidate Gunwant Deopare will face a stiff challenge from Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul and NCP’s Navneet Kaur Rana.