The Kolkata Police on Sunday said that some social media accounts are spreading false information about the arrest of influencer Sharmishta Panoli amid backlash over the action, which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed ‘selective enforcement’.
In a post on X, the Kolkata Police said that social media accounts are claiming that the Kolkata Police have unlawfully arrested a law student for opposing Pakistan.
“This narrative is mischievous and misleading. Expressing national pride and patriotism is a thing that every citizen and organisation stands for. Kolkata Police being no different, stands firmly with the citizens of India,” the police said.
The 22-year-old was arrested by the Kolkata Police late Friday night from Gurugram in Haryana and brought to Kolkata. She was produced before the court on Saturday, which sent her to judicial custody until June 13.
{{/usCountry}}The 22-year-old was arrested by the Kolkata Police late Friday night from Gurugram in Haryana and brought to Kolkata. She was produced before the court on Saturday, which sent her to judicial custody until June 13.
{{/usCountry}}She is accused of hurting religious sentiments through her ‘communal’ comments in now-deleted videos on her social media.
Her arrest has led to a political row in West Bengal, with the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) describing Sharmishta Panoli's arrest as “selective enforcement” and accusing the Kolkata Police of acting in “uncharacteristic haste”.
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In Sunday's post, the Kolkata Police said that hate speech targeting any religious figure or community or any class of citizens of India, which has the potential to incite disharmony and hatred between different communities, is a punishable offence in the newly implemented Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“Hate speech & abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech & expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution,” it said.
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Further, the Kolkata Police said that it had acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law.
“The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities,” it said.
"We urge all concerned to act responsibly and refrain from doing anything that would benefit our enemies," it added.