Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of telling Scots a "whopper" when she told voters the General Election is not about Scottish independence.

Tory leader Ruth Davidson claimed the First Minister is treating people as "fools".

In an effort to win votes in the Westminster election, Ms Davidson said the SNP leader was trying to "face both ways" and "promise all things to all people".

Just days ago, the First Minister told the broadcaster STV: "'This election is not deciding whether or not Scotland is independent.''

On Wednesday, her predecessor Alex Salmond said Scots casting their ballots on June 8 "will know that they are voting to support the right of the parliament to decide on the holding of the Scottish referendum".

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs at First Minister's Questions the vote is "an opportunity to determine who chooses Scotland's future" - and insisted that was "exactly the same" as Mr Salmond's remarks.

Ms Davidson also said there are apparent differences within the SNP on issues such as fishing and Scotland's place in Europe post-Brexit.

The Conservative said: "What we've got is that the SNP say they are in favour of joining the European Union, with the First Minister not confirming whether the SNP will back full membership in their manifesto.

"They say they are in favour of the Common Fisheries Policy, except for MPs in fishing communities who say they are against it.

"Then we have the real whopper - in Scotland we have Nicola Sturgeon saying the coming election hasn't anything to do whatsoever with independence, but from the broadcast studios of London up pops Alex Salmond to confirm they want to use this election to demand a referendum that the rest of us don't want.

"So, the First Minister thinks on fishing, on EU membership and on independence she can face both ways and promise all things to all people."

Ms Davidson added: "Isn't it the case that she is treating the electorate as fools?"

Ms Sturgeon responded: "This election is an opportunity to determine who chooses Scotland's future, is it a Tory Government at Westminster or is it this democratically-elected Scottish Parliament, exactly the same as Alex Salmond's comments yesterday afternoon."

She went on to accuse Ms Davidson of being "all at sea" and "drowning" on the issue of fishing, claiming the Tories are "preparing to sell out Scottish fishermen" by granting other European countries access to UK waters as part of the Brexit negotiations.

The First Minister also accused her rival of "flip-flopping" on Brexit.

Both Ms Sturgeon and Ms Davidson played a prominent role in the campaign to keep the UK in the European Union, but since the result of the referendum the SNP leader said the Conservative had altered her stance.

She added: "Ruth Davidson has managed to hold several different positions on Brexit all by herself. Brexit is a terrible threat to Scotland - that used to be Ruth Davidson's position as well.

"But now, of course, she has fallen into line with Theresa May and now Brexit is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

"On this issue, Ruth Davidson flip-flops more than fish being landed. Flip-flop, flip-flop on Brexit."

She continued the attack, accusing the Tories of treating Scotland's fishing industry as "expendable".

Quoting from the Brexit white paper, Ms Sturgeon said the UK Government was seeking to achieve "a mutually beneficial deal that works for the UK and the EU's fishing communities" in European divorce negotiations.

"Let me translate that for Ruth Davidson," the First Minister said.

"That means the Tories are lining up in these negotiations to sell out the fishing industry and to allow European countries what they say they don't want, which is access to Scottish fishing waters.

"The Tories are preparing to perpetrate a con on Scotland's fishermen, they will not get away with it."

She insisted the SNP had consistently criticised the CFP and had been "very clear about our intentions to see it fundamentally reformed" - citing the 2014 white paper as saying "independence for Scotland in the European Union would give Scotland the opportunity to take a leadership role in reforming the Commons Fisheries Policy."

Ms Sturgeon said: "The reality here is it is the SNP that always stands up for Scottish fishing and always will stand up for Scottish fishing."

Ms Davidson responded : "Let me quote a document - it's chapter 13 of a little thing called the EU conditions of membership and it says it requires the introduction and participation in the Common Fisheries Policy. It doesn't get much clearer than that.

"Right now, we have SNP MPs in fishing communities saying the CFP is terrible and that Scotland would pull out and at the same time we've got Nicola Sturgeon, standing up in Edinburgh, trying to win the vote of Remainers, saying they would go straight back in.

"Doesn't the First Minister see the utter hypocrisy here?"

Ms Sturgeon also came under attack on the issues of Europe and independence from Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, who claimed the First Minister had made her party look "shifty and evasive" as he urged her to clarify her policy.

She responded: "My position is as it has always been, so Willie Rennie should maybe listen carefully because he seems to be struggling to understand it.

"I support Scotland being independent and an independent member of the European Union.

"I'm proud in this election to be getting out there making the case for a strong opposition to the Tories at Westminster and making the case that on the key questions, independence and other key questions, it should be the voice of this parliament, this democratically-elected parliament, that determines the future of Scotland, not the voice of an increasingly right-wing Tory government at Westminster."

Highlighting a picture taken this week of the First Minister sitting on a motorbike emblazoned with support for a second referendum, Mr Rennie continued: "Does she really think we're all buttoned up the back?

"Once again she has refused to say that this is what the election is about but her predecessor was on the radio saying exactly that's what it is about, it's about independence first, last and every priority.

"Last week she was evasive about her future plans on Europe, this week utter confusion about independence, starting with denial and ending with a Hell's Angels tour of the central belt.

"Meanwhile, the economy is teetering on the edge of recession, international educational rankings have slipped and the mental health strategy is months behind schedule. She should be ashamed of that record.

"The best way out of all of this is for her to do just what the majority of people in this country would applaud her for, why can't she just cancel this divisive independence referendum campaign and get back to her job for Scotland?"

Ms Sturgeon said: "I think most people watching this would start to think that, yes, the Liberal Democrats appear to button up the back.

"He can ask me anything he likes but chooses not to ask me about education, health or the economy.

"And do you know why that is? Because all of the opposition parties here, actually they're the ones that only want to talk about independence.

"Why is that? Because it's a smokescreen. Because none of them are prepared to talk about their own policies or their own record."