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India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Secularism must be two-way street: Pawan Kalyan on arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli
Amravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 1 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan slammed West Bengal Police over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the West Bengal police, saying that 'secularism must be a two-way street'. In a post on X, Pawan Kalyan said, 'During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologised. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' '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 post further read. Earlier, Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Sunday urged for the release of 22-year-old influencer Sharmishta Panoli, who was remanded to judicial custody by a court in Kolkata, a day after West Bengal Police arrested her from her Gurugram in Haryana. '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 told ANI. Further, she said, 'I urge 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...' Kolkata Police arrested Panoli from Haryana's Gurugram on Friday night. She is a law student in Pune, Maharashtra. On Saturday, Panoli was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days. According to the Kolkata Police, several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but the attempts were unsuccessful because Panoli and her family absconded. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued by the court, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram on Friday. 'The case relates to an Instagram video by a lady named Sharmishta Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. FIR was lodged in Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve notice as per law couldn't be successful since the accused, with her family absconded. Subsequently, warrant of arrest was issued by the court of law, based on which she was arrested from Gurgaon yesterday,' as per the Kolkata Police. However, Panoli had deleted the video and issued an apology on May 15. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Secularism must be two-way street': Pawan Kalyan slams TMC over influencer Sharmistha Panoli's arrest
As criticism intensifies over the arrest of law student Sharmistha Panoli by Kolkata Police, Pawan Kalyan, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and leader of NDA ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has weighed in, slamming the Trinamool Congress and calling for equal treatment under the law. Kalyan backed Panoli, who was arrested for a now-deleted video allegedly containing communal remarks, stating that she had owned her mistake and publicly apologised. In a strong statement, he said secularism must be a two-way street and not a shield for some and a sword for others. In a post on X, Kalyan wrote, 'During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video, and apologized. The West Bengal Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' Kalyan further stated, '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.' Panoli was arrested in Gurgaon on Friday by Kolkata Police over remarks in a video where she criticized Bollywood celebrities for remaining silent on 'Operation Sindoor.' She was brought to Kolkata on transit remand and produced before the Alipore court on Saturday. The arrest has sparked a fresh political row between the BJP and the TMC, with several BJP leaders echoing Kalyan's sentiments. Leader of Opposition in Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, questioned the selective enforcement of law. 'TMC MP Mahua Moitra had said such disgraceful things against Goddess Kali; was any action taken against her even after 200 FIRs were filed? Their MP, Sayani Ghosh, had posted about Maha Dev. Was any action taken? So many FIRs against Firhad Hakim; was any action taken?' Adhikari further said, 'Action is only taken against Sanatanis. I do not want to comment on what the girl (Panoli) has said, but the TMC is trying to appease a particular community for vote bank politics.' Bengal BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar also weighed in on social media: 'Sharmistha Panoli, 22, law student, arrested for a now-deleted video and a public apology. No riots. No unrest. Yet Mamata Banerjee's police acted overnight — not for justice, but for appeasement. But when TMC leaders insult Sanatan Dharma… mock Maha Kumbh, and push communal poison — there's no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is vote-bank vendetta.' Panoli has been remanded to judicial custody till June 13. Following widespread online backlash and threats in the comments section, she took down the post and issued a public apology.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bengal: Political row erupts over the arrest of Sharmishta Panoli
Kolkata: A political row erupted in West Bengal on Sunday over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the Kolkata Police earlier this week for her alleged controversial post. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state alleging that the arrest of the 22-year-old law student was 'selective enforcement' and the Kolkata Police acted in 'uncharacteristic haste'. 'Sharmistha Panoli, just 22 years old, has been arrested and sent to 14-day judicial custody over a video she had already deleted and publicly apologised for on May 15. 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,' Amit Malviya, BJP's IT cell head, wrote on X. She was arrested from Gurugram in Haryana by the Kolkata Police late on Friday night and was brought to Kolkata. She was produced before the court on Saturday. The court sent her to judicial custody till June 13. 'Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has 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,' Malviya wrote. Geert Wilder, Dutch Parliament member and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, 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,' he wrote. Pawan Kalyan, deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh also slammed the TMC over the arrest while asking the police to act justly. 'During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' Kalyan wrote on X. Panoli later deleted the post and issued a public apology, but by then, an FIR had already been filed in Kolkata. HT got in touch with at least three senior TMC leaders. None of them commented on the developments. The Kolkata Police however refuted allegations that Panoli was arrested unlawfully or the police acted in a haste. '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. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law,' the Kolkata Police wrote on X
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Free Sharmistha, don't make West Bengal another North Korea: Kangana Ranaut
Joining other celebrities in supporting creator Sharmistha Panoli, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut on Sunday said the former's arrest over a now-deleted social media post was 'unjustified' and amounted to a North Korea-type dictatorship. Kangana, known for essaying characters of strong women in her films, also expressed concerns over the damage caused to the influencer-cum-law student's career after her arrest by Kolkata Police. 'No girl or daughter should be subjected to such high-handedness,' said Ranaut while talking to the media on the sidelines of an event in Delhi. Targeting the Trinamool government in West Bengal, the National Award-winning actress and BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, said, 'I request the government of West Bengal not to make the state another North Korea.' 'Every citizen has democratic rights…if she made an objectionable comment, she also apologised for it later. She seems to have made the comment in a general context. Youngsters today use such language in the normal course,' she said, putting up a strong case for Sharmistha's release. Earlier, actor-cum-politician and Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan showed solidarity with Sharmistha and asked West Bengal Police to act justly. Condemning the alleged double standards of the state police on matters related to religion, Kalyan said in a post on X, 'But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?' '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 the BJP MP Twenty-two-year-old Sharmistha was arrested on Saturday from Gurugram in Haryana, by Kolkata Police for posting videos containing communal remarks during Operation Sindoor. Sharmistha had later deleted the video and issued a public apology. The FIR filed against her at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15 includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity on religious grounds, deliberately outraging religious feelings, and provoking a breach of peace. After her arrest, the law student was produced in court, which sent her to 14-day judicial custody.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Secularism Must Be 2-Way Street": Pawan Kalyan Slams Influencer's Arrest
Kolkata Police's move to arrest influencer Sharmistha Panoli over a communal post has sparked a political row. BJP ally and Andhra Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has flagged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks and stressed that "secularism must be a two-way street". Kolkata Police yesterday arrested Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old law student, over social media videos in which she used abusive and communally-charged language and also targeted Bollywood actors for not speaking out during Operation Sindoor, India's counterstrike to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 innocents dead. The FIR against Sharmistha Panoli, filed after a complaint in Kolkata, invokes Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections linked to promoting enmity on grounds of religion, deliberate acts to outrage religious feelings and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace. She was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Jana Kalyan Sena leader Pawan Kalyan took to X to comment on the student's arrest. During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted… — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) May 31, 2025 "During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha, a law student, spoke out, her words regrettable and hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video and apologized. The WB Police swiftly acted, taking action against Sharmistha. But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted upon millions when elected leaders, MPs of TMC, mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?," he asked. Targeting the BJP, Ms Banerjee has said the party was trying to incite "communal riots through divisive politics" in Bengal and asserted that its "ganda dharma" was contrary to the true principles of Hinduism. Sharing a video of the Trinamool Congress chief's remarks, Mr Kalyan said, "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." Kolkata Police have said 'certain social media narratives suggesting an unlawful arrest of a law student are factually 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. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law. We urge all concerned to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative content and to rely on authentic sources for information," it said in a post on X. Soon after her post sparked an uproar, the law student deleted it and issued an apology. Mamata Banerjee - 'Maha Kumbh is Mrityu Kumbh'. 'Jai Shree Ram is insulting abusive cuss word, hurled towards her.' ❌ No legal action. Mahua Moitra - 'Kali to me is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting Goddess,' ❌ No legal action. Firhad Hakim - 'Those who are not born in Islam… — Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) June 1, 2025 The influencer's arrest has also drawn criticism from Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the Bengal Assembly. Sharing Mr Kalyan's post and flagging controversial remarks by Trinamool leaders, Mr Adhikari has asked Kolkata Police where its zeal is when Hindu deities are vandalised and Ramnavami and Hanuma Jayanti processions come under stone-pelting.
