In a fresh war of words, P Chidambaram today hit out at Narendra Modi, dubbing him a "compulsive liar" and an "encounter Chief Minister".
Modi, who has been referring to Chidamabaram as "recounting minister" in his election rallies, also sharpened his attack on the Finance Minister, demanding a probe by Election Commission, alleging that wrist watches with photos of the Finance Minister were being distributed to voters.
In Chennai, Chidambaram said, "Mr Modi is a compulsive liar. There was no re-count in Sivaganga. He knows that. Yet he lies and continues to make this false statement, one of the many false statements made by him. If he insists on calling me Recounting Minister, I can call him Encounter Chief Minister," he told reporters who sought his reaction on Modi repeatedly calling him "recounting minister".
The minister was obviously referring to the spate of alleged fake encounters that occurred in Gujarat under Modi rule.
Chidambaram won the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu by a margin of about 3,500 votes and the counting process was mired in controversy.
Addressing an election rally in Ramanathapuram, bordering Chidambaram's native Sivaganga district, Modi accused the senior Congress leader of running away from elections.
After Chidambaram opted out of the April 24 Lok Sabha polls, his son Karti Chidambaram has been given the Sivaganga seat by Congress.
"In Tamil Nadu, there is a Congress leader--recounting Minister-- he is so afraid that he ran away from elections," Modi, who is on a two-day trip to Tamil Nadu to canvass for NDA candidates, said without taking Chidambaram's name.
