Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut on Sunday called the arrest of content creator Sharmishta Panoli by West Bengal Police as harassment and urged chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led government to not turn the state into “North Korea”.
Sharmishta Panoli was arrested late Friday night from Haryana's Gurugram by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through her ‘communal’ comments in now-deleted videos on her social media.
Also Read: What did Sharmishta Panoli say in the controversial video that led to her arrest?
Sharmishta Panoli was sent to judicial custody till June 13 after being brought from Gurugram to Kolkata on Saturday.
Reacting to Sharmishta Panoli's arrest, Kangana Ranaut said harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good.
“When someone has apologised and deleted the post, but putting her in prison, torturing her, ending her career and raising questions on her character is very wrong. This should not happen with any daughter,” Kangana Ranaut said.
{{/usCountry}}“When someone has apologised and deleted the post, but putting her in prison, torturing her, ending her career and raising questions on her character is very wrong. This should not happen with any daughter,” Kangana Ranaut said.
{{/usCountry}}She urged the West Bengal government “not to try to make the state into North Korea”.
"Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her indecent remarks. She had said everything in general and today's generation uses such language very normally- both in English and in Hindi. She should be released soon because she is a very young woman. She has her whole career and life ahead of her...," Kangana Ranaut said on Sunday.
Sharmishta Panoli gets support
More politicians have extended support to the social media ‘influencer’, appealing to the West Bengal government to release her.
Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday appealed to West Bengal Police to act "justly" in the case of Sharmishta Panoli.
The deputy chief minister said that "blasphemy must be condemned" but secularism should not be used as a "shield".
Also Read | Pawan Kalyan condemns Sharmishta Panoli's arrest: ‘Secularism must be a two-way street’
“Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn’t a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all,” said Pawan Kalyan in a post on X.
West Bengal assembly LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli, alleging that action is taken only against "Sanatanis."