Trinamool leader Banerjee attacks BJP over case dismissal, warns of 'crushing machine'

Abhishek Banerjee seized on the court dismissal of charges against Bankura Member of Parliament Arup Chakraborty to level fresh accusations against the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday. In a pointed jab at the Modi government, the Trinamool Congress leader suggested that joining the BJP comes with an implicit quid pro quo arrangement. "Welcome to the magnificent machine age of Prime Minister Modi's new India," Banerjee said, using metaphorical language to characterize what he described as the party's mechanisms for selective justice. Banerjee alleged that those who align with the BJP receive favorable treatment through what he termed a "washing machine"—a reference to the party's alleged ability to absolve political opponents of legal troubles upon switching sides. The Trinamool leader warned that those who resist pressure to defect face an opposite fate. "If you persist in your stance, the crushing machine will be activated," Banerjee stated, implying that the BJP weaponizes legal and investigative agencies against political rivals who refuse to join its ranks. The remarks reflect mounting tensions between the two parties in West Bengal, a key political battleground where the BJP has aggressively expanded its presence in recent years.