Banerjee had spent the entire day at her Kalighat residence when the entire political gamut had descended to Kolkata to pay their last respects to the longest-serving chief minister of the country.

She broke her silence after CPM leader Sitaram Yechury told mediapersons in New Delhi that the Trinamool leader had “insulted” the people of West Bengal by skipping Basu’s final journey.

“By not paying the last respects, she (Mamata) has insulted the people of Bengal who turned out in lakhs. Now, they will have to decide,” said Yechury. He said despite serious political differences, it was a culture not only in India but also abroad that “one should be present on such occasions”.

“It is also elementary human decency and a matter of courtesy and political morality,” he added.

But an angry Banerjee hit back saying, “I am not their (CPM’s) slave that I will do whatever they say.”

The Union minister said she was taunted with lewd comments by many in the hospital when she had visited after Basu died. “Whom I believe were their (CPM) supporters. But I did not say anything. The CPM is creating a controversy over this. I do not want one,” she said.

“In his last days, my relationship with Basu was very good. On Thursday, according to rule, I sent my representative, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partho Chatterjee to pay respects on behalf of the party. What else should I do?” added Banerjee.

She warned the CPM not to fuel any controversy over it. “I pay respect to any dead person. Please do not instigate me. I have a lot of dirt to unearth — like what happened in Bantala and Marichjhapi,” she added.

Both the incidents, which Banerjee was referring to, had taken place in Basu’s chief ministership. In Bantala, nearly a dozen of women were gangraped allegedly by CPM cadres. Basu, the then chief minister, had reportedly told mediapersons that “such things happen”.

In Marichjhapi in the Sunderbans, the police had opened fire on the refugees after they refused to leave. The incident took place just two years after Basu had become the chief minister of the state for the first time in 1977. The exact figure of the fatalities in the incident is yet to be known.

The Trinamool chief also said that she would not attend the Sunday’s condolence meeting, organised by the CPM in memory of Basu.