Retaliating against BJP president J P Nadda’s criticism of “divide and rule” by TMC in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led party hit back on Monday accusing the NDA government at the Centre of doing so to the people of the country.

It struck back at Nadda for “peddling lies and misinformation” to the people of the state.

The TMC refuted Nadda’s claims that central funds are not being utilized properly and said the BJP national president should stop making “baseless” statements and get his “facts and figures corrected”.

Nadda had criticised the TMC at a meeting with social groups at Siliguri during the day. He had accused the Mamata Banerjee government in the state of indulging in “divide and rule politics” in the state to serve the political interests of TMC, unlike BJP which “works for the development of all”.

In a sharply worded statement, TMC Rajya Sabha leader and its spokesperson Derek O’ Brien said, “(Durga) Pujo greetings to J P Naddaji and his family. In the best traditions of our great state, Bengal, this is the time of the year which is not the occasion for politics or bickering. This is the time for joy and sharing. This culture, this decency, is deeply enshrined in the ethos of every person who lives in Bengal.

“This irony is not lost when the president of the BJP talks about “divide and rule”. “Divide and rule” is a ploy learnt from the colonial past and played out deviously every day by your party,” he said.

The BJP government at the Centre which has “done everything it can to divide and rule the people of this great nation” over the last six years it has been in power, he said.

Brien said there were gaping holes in Nadda’s speech in Siliguri but the TMC “will not defile this auspicious occasion”.

Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim criticised Nadda for spreading “lies and misinformation” and not being aware of the ground reality in the state.

“He (Naddda) is making baseless statements and should get his facts and figures corrected. He should stop peddling lies and misinformation. The central government itself has stopped sending funds due to GST compensation and J P Nadda is lecturing opposition ruled states and making politically motivated statements,” Hakim said.

Nadda, who was on a day-long visit to Siliguri, took stock of organisational matters ahead of 2021 Assembly elections and held separate meetings with BJP leaders of north Bengal and a social groups. The saffron party has made deep inroads in the area which accounts for 54 of the total 294 assembly seats.