A political row erupted on Sunday over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the Kolkata Police over a controversial social media, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) slamming the West Bengal government of “selective enforcement” of the law.
Panoli, a 22-year-old law student from Pune in Maharashtra, was arrested in Gurugram on Friday night for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in an Instagram video on Operation Sindoor –– India’s military response to Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack. On Saturday, she was produced before the Alipore court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday, criticised Panoli’s arrest, saying she had already deleted the video and publicly apologised for it prior to her arrest. “There have been no reports of communal unrest linked to her remarks, yet the Kolkata Police is acting with uncharacteristic haste. This is no longer about law and order — it is about selective enforcement,” BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
Malviya questioned if similar action would be taken against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as she made “far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions”. “Will the law be applied to her with the same urgency? India is watching. This isn’t just a case in West Bengal — it reflects how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank. Justice must not be politically convenient,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Malviya questioned if similar action would be taken against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as she made “far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions”. “Will the law be applied to her with the same urgency? India is watching. This isn’t just a case in West Bengal — it reflects how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank. Justice must not be politically convenient,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}BJP lawmaker Kangana Ranaut urged for Panoli’s release, saying, “harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good”. “Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her indecent remarks,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. “She should be released soon because she is a very young woman.”
Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan appealed to the police to act “justly” in the case. “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,” the Janaena Party leader, a key BJP ally, said on X.
Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilder also took to social media to extend his support to Panoli. “Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It’s a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don’t punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi,” the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom said.
Kolkata Police, however, refuted the allegations that they acted “in haste” or the arrest was unlawful, saying such narratives were “actually incorrect and misleading”.
“All legal procedures were duly adhered to. All attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon,” Kolkata Polcie said on X. “She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law.”
HT reached out to at least three senior Trinamool Congress leaders, however, none of them commented on the developments.
(Any quotes from TMC so far? Any response?)