‘Free the brave Sharmistha Panoli': Dutch MP urges PM Modi to intervene in influencer's arrest
As political tensions rise between the BJP and TMC over the arrest of law student and social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, Dutch MP Geert Wilders has voiced his support for her, defending her right to free speech.
Calling her arrest 'a disgrace' and referring to Panoli as 'brave,' the 61-year-old MP said she should not be penalised for expressing her views.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the far-right Dutch lawmaker shared a poster reading 'All eyes on Sharmishta Panoli' and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to secure her release.
'Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It's a disgrace for freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don't punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi! @AmyMek,' Wilders posted.
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! @AmyMek #Sharmishta#IStandwithSharmishta #ReleaseSharmistha #FreeSharmishta pic.twitter.com/YhGSLhuyr2
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) May 31, 2025
Panoli's arrest has sparked a political storm in India, with BJP leaders demanding her immediate release. Party members argue that the law student had already deleted the contentious video and issued an apology, and claim that her arrest constitutes unfair targeting.
The controversy stems from a now-deleted video in which Panoli allegedly made communal remarks, accusing some Bollywood celebrities of remaining silent on Operation Sindoor. The video triggered significant backlash, with many accusing her of spreading hate speech and threatening her online.
In a public statement, Panoli offered an apology, writing: 'I do hereby tender my unconditional apology. Whatever was put are my personal feelings and I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody, so if anybody is hurt, I'm sorry for the same. I expect co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, I will be cautious in my public post. Again, please accept my apologies.'
Panoli, a law student at Symbiosis International University, enjoys a substantial following on social media with nearly 85,000 followers on X and 90,000 on Instagram. A resident of Kolkata's Anandapur area, she has been charged under sections related to promoting enmity between groups, acts intended to outrage religious feelings, intentional insult, and provocation likely to cause a breach of peace, according to the Kolkata Police, as reported by PTI.
'Several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but they went incommunicado. The matter was then presented before the court, which issued an arrest warrant. On Friday night, she was arrested from Gurugram by Kolkata Police,' an officer said.
Panoli was produced before a court in Alipore on Saturday, which remanded her to judicial custody until June 13 after rejecting her bail plea. Speaking to reporters while leaving the courtroom, she said, 'The way this harassment is being done in a democracy — this is not democracy.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
15 minutes ago
- Hans India
End percentage raj in state: BJP to Cong
Hyderabad: BJP National Vice President and Member of Parliament DK Aruna urged the Congress government in the state to stop looting and focus on development. While addressing the media on Friday after attending the 'BJP Bharosa' program—where party representatives interact with the public to address their concerns—she alleged that a 'Percentage Rule' is prevalent in Telangana. Under this rule, pending bills are only paid if 30 per cent is first paid as a bribe. The corruption chain continues in the state, with many families of key leaders involved in this practice, she alleged. 'This isn't just speculation; the Congress party ministers and key leaders have openly acknowledged it.' Telangana is still being looted and needs to prioritise development. 'We have already raised concerns about the RR tax collection in the state. From Rahul Gandhi to Revanth, it appears that everyone is receiving bribes. There seems to be no shortage of funds for corruption, yet the government claims there is no money to fulfil its promises,' she alleged. The Telangana BJP is committed to fighting until this corrupt regime is dismantled, she added. Turning her ire on the State Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, she said, the cabinet met and discussions lasted five hours. 'All exepcted the meeting would address and resolve several issues faced by the people and the state. However, when state employees requested five pending dearness allowances (DAs), they were given only one. This is another instance of cheating government employees. Does the Chief Minister not feel ashamed? If the government is honest, it would immediately release the remaining DAs owed to employees,' she said. 'The decision to form a Healthcare Trust appears to be misleading employees; we want action, not empty promises,' she said. D K Aruna said contractors are hesitant to bid for development works in the state, and the condition of roads has deteriorated significantly. Development works in the state are predominantly funded by the central government. While the state government now claims it will build roads—which is a positive step—contracts should be awarded to those who lost contracts in the past. However, the BJP MP took strong exception for bringing contractors from neighbouring states who are being favoured to settle pending bills, 'neglecting local contractors who have already incurred losses. Pending bills should be released without requiring a percentage cut,' she demanded. 'Furthermore, a public referendum should be held regarding the Alampur ethanol factory. Setting up such industries without proper approval creates issues that have to be addressed. The government should engage in dialogue with farmers about these initiatives. The focus should be on irrigation project works statewide, especially reviewing the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Detailed Project Report (DPR). It is known that the capacity of the Guden Doddi under Nettempadu is set to be increased, which will not be beneficial. Reservoirs should be built by sourcing water from the Jurala,' she added.
India.com
21 minutes ago
- India.com
Scared Pakistan closes terror launchpads in...., it was targeted in Operation Sindoor, it is run by...
Scared Pakistan closes terror launchpads in...., it was targeted in Operation Sindoor, it is run by... After India's air strike, the leadership of Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed is has closed its Bahawalpur headquarters 'Jamia Subhan Allah'. India attacked Jaish-e-Mohammed's Bahawalpur headquarters in Punjab province under Operation Sindoor in early May, in which it was destroyed. Since the Indian attack, it is showing permanently closed on Google Maps. Was targeted in Operation Sindoor The Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 , in which 26 people were killed. India's retaliatory strikes targeted nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoK, including the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur. The Jaish infrastructure was destroyed in the precision strike at this location, about 100 km from the Indian border. 10 people from Masood Azhar's family killed In India's action, 10 members of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar 's family and 4 close associates were killed. Photos and satellite imagery of the site after the attack show that the place was badly damaged. A large part of the building was reduced to rubble and large holes were visible in its Pakistan Tension: Khawaja Asif's statement on Shimla Agreement causes uproar in Pakistan. Training center for Jaish terrorists The complex was displayed as a mosque for public display, but it reportedly served as a training centre for Jaish-e-Mohammed. It played a key role in the recruitment and operational planning of terrorists. Google Maps has now marked the site as permanently closed. This marking is usually done when verified sources report a long period of inactivity and damage to the place.
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: Carlsen claims 7th Norway Chess title; rail link that bridges Jammu and Kashmir Valley; Housefull 5 review
Good morning! Magnus Carlsen won the Norway Chess 2025 title Friday evening, edging out recently anointed world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Fabiano Caruana at the finish line. The world no. 1 claimed his seventh Norway Chess victory with a draw against Arjun Erigaisi, while Caruana defeated Gukesh in their final encounter. This result pushed Gukesh into third place in the final standings. Train to Kashmir: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Katra-Sangaldan stretch of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link on Friday. With this, trains can, for the first time, travel between two regions joined at the hip by more than an ampersand—Jammu and Kashmir. Touted as a remarkable achievement of railway engineering, the direct rail link is viewed as a game-changer that can revolutionise trade, tourism, and the economy of the UT. 272 km, 27 stations, 38 tunnels, 931 bridges — and a gap closed: Among the several firsts of the milestone USBRL project is the 359-metre-high Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge. L Prakash was responsible for laying the roads as the Chief Engineer of the Konkan Railways then. Now an Executive Director, he called it a 'classic case of one step forward and two steps backwards'. Lives along the (rail) line: With the Katra-Sangaldan stretch of Kashmir's rail link now open, trains can finally connect the Valley to the rest of the country. Dheeraj Mishra and Gajendra Yadav travel to stations new and old, from Katra to Baramulla, to see what changes for the people there when a train makes a stop. Match-fixing Maharashtra: 'The people of India have a right to be assured that no records have been or will be trashed,' writes Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. With the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections case in point, the Congress leader terms match-fixed elections as 'a poison for any democracy'. In his column for The Indian Express, he elaborates on the 5 steps —from fake voters to concealing evidence trail— of the playbook, which he believes, led to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide victory in the state. The fifth installment of ensemble Bollywood comedy Housefull 5 hit the theatres. Critic Shubhra Gupta resorted to penning a dialogue between herself and her brain to review it, with the latter asking 'don't you know when to stop?' Gupta writes that 'compared to the previous Housefulls, this one has a slightly fuller house, but because no one expects anything else, it's pretty much like the older ones.' If that doesn't paint the full picture for you, here's more on this Akshay Kumar-starrer which maintains the franchise's signature chaos but is 'yet another loud, formulaic farce'. Until next time Vibha Vibha B Madhava is a sub-editor at the news desk for She is interested in writing about gender, culture and politics of ableism. Having specialised in digital journalism, she is keen to explore various forms of interactive, multimedia storytelling. Apart from that, she also likes to experiment with social media. Qualification, Degrees/other achievements: Bachelor's degree in Media and Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. PG Diploma in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. With The Indian Express, this is Vibha's first stint in pursuing journalism in a full-time capacity. Previous internship experience: Deccan Herald, Bengaluru; The News Minute, Bengaluru; The Mojo Story; Radio Indigo 91.9 and Fever FM 94.3 (Hyderabad) You can find her on Twitter as @VibhaBMadhava , on LinkedIn (Vibha B Madhava), or write to her at ... Read More
