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Who is Sharmishta Panoli, Indian influencer arrested over communal remarks linked to Operation Sindoor?
A war of words has broken out over the arrest of law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli. In a now-deleted video, Panoli allegedly made communal remarks while criticising Bollywood actors, especially Muslim stars, for remaining silent on Operation Sindoor. The video led to massive backlash, forcing her to take it down and issue an apology. The issue has now drawn international attention after Dutch MP Geert Wilders publicly supported Panoli read more
Panoli was taken into custody and sent to 14 days of judicial remand. Image: X
The arrest of 22-year-old law student Sharmishta Panoli has led to a major controversy in the country and drawn attention from outside India as well.
Panoli, who is also a social media influencer, was taken into custody and sent to 14 days of judicial remand after a video she posted was accused of hurting religious feelings.
The incident has triggered a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal.
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The matter gained international attention when Geert Wilders, a Dutch MP and leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, publicly backed Panoli.
So, who is Sharmishta Panoli? What led to her arrest? What is the entire row between the BJP and TMC over this issue?
Let's get you the answers to these questions and more.
Who is Sharmishta Panoli?
According to her LinkedIn profile, Sharmishta Panoli is a fourth-year law student based in Pune.
She started studying law in early 2022 and has also built a large following on social media, with more than 94,000 followers on Instagram.
Panoli became well-known for her political content and opinion-based videos, where she often shared strong views.
After facing criticism over her recent video, she removed all content from her Instagram, including her reels and posts.
Why was she arrested? What is the entire row?
In a video that has since been taken down, Sharmishta allegedly made communal comments while accusing Bollywood actors, particularly Muslim stars, of staying silent on Operation Sindoor.
Kolkata Police said in a statement that her remarks were 'derogatory and disrespectful' and appeared to target a specific religious community.
She is also accused of using abusive language in the video, where she criticised Bollywood personalities and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia over their alleged 'soft stance' on Pakistan.
She was later tracked down and arrested from Gurugram, police said. PTI
The video spread quickly on social media, drawing criticism from many users. Some even sent her threats.
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On May 14, Waris Pathan, the national spokesperson of AIMIM, shared a video that he claimed was posted by Panoli.
He accused her of insulting Islam and trying to stir communal tension. In his post, he tagged the Home Minister and demanded her arrest.
A day later, on May 15, Panoli issued an apology on X, 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.'
Her comments led to massive backlash, especially from members of the Muslim community in India and abroad, who accused her of making offensive statements about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.
A complaint was lodged at a police station in Kolkata, and an FIR was filed against her under charges related to promoting enmity and hurting religious sentiments.
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Police said they tried several times to serve her a legal notice, but Panoli and her family could not be found. After repeated failed attempts, a court issued a warrant for her arrest.
She was later tracked down and arrested from Gurugram, police said.
On Saturday, Panoli was presented in an Alipore court and placed in judicial custody until June 13. As she left court, she said, 'The way this harassment is being done in a democracy — this is not democracy.'
#WATCH | Kolkata: Sharmistha Panoli, arrested from Gurugram by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through her comments on social media, produced in Alipore Court in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/T1NQCruPAm — ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025
Kolkata Police issued a statement saying, 'Some social media accounts are spreading false information that Kolkata Police has unlawfully arrested a law student for opposing Pakistan. This narrative is mischievous and misleading.'
The police clarified that the case was filed under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
They also said Panoli was 'absconding' after efforts to serve her notice failed, and pointed out that under the BNS, hate speech aimed at any religion or community, especially content that could trigger communal tension, is a punishable offence.
ALSO READ | YouTuber, student and more: Who are the 'Pakistani spies' arrested in India?
BJP vs TMC over Sharmishta's arrest
Several political leaders have spoken out in support of Sharmishta.
Criticising the West Bengal government, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, 'The action is only taken against Sanatanis. Everyone here has a licence to abuse Sanatana… This is appeasement politics. A certain community is their vote bank, and this is for appeasement."
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut wrote on Instagram that the law student's apology should have been enough. Ranaut wrote, 'She should be released immediately.'
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#WATCH | Delhi: On the arrest of Sharmistha Panoli from Gurugram by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through her comments on social media, actor Kangana Ranaut says, "Harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good. When someone has apologised… pic.twitter.com/SEtPALH9lH — ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2025
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan questioned the silence over remarks made against Hinduism. He asked, 'Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?'
Sivaganga MP and Congress leader Karti Chidambaram also raised concerns. In a post on X, he wrote, 'These interstate arrests for social media posts (unless it's clearly demonstrated that it has lead to a law and order situation) is blatantly a misuse of police powers.'
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Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi told ANI that those who hurt religious sentiments should face stricter punishment. He said, 'A law should be formulated against such people which gives a punishment of at least 10 years.'
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress defended the actions taken by the Kolkata Police.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, 'Our stand is very clear — TMC will not support any post or activity that provokes someone or creates a division among society. If a legal action is needed, then that will surely be done.'
VIDEO | On content creator Sharmishta Panoli's arrest over post on Operation Sindoor, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) said, "Our stand is very clear - TMC will not support any post or activity that provokes someone or creates a division among the society. If a legal… pic.twitter.com/mJpeuiJRab — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 31, 2025
He added, 'We don't want to divide anyone on the basis of religion. We will not accept any such thing.'
TMC MP Sagarika Ghose, in a statement to The Indian Express, said that freedom of speech cannot be used to justify hate speech.
'She (Panoli) has directly abused a religion. The Kolkata Police were acting on a warrant which they are duty-bound to execute. The notice was served, the family was absconding, the Kolkata Police just did their duty,' the TMC leader said.
Dutch leader's show of support for Sharmishta
Geert Wilders, a Dutch MP and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, criticised Panoli's arrest and called it an attack on free speech.
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
'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,' he wrote in a post on X.
The post was accompanied by an image reading, 'All eyes on Sharmistha.'
With inputs from agencies
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