Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has strongly criticised the West Bengal Police following the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli. He said that "secularism must be a two-way street" and called for fairness in how such cases are handled.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pawan Kalyan said, "During Operation Sindoor, Sharmishta, who is a law student, spoke out. Her words were regrettable and hurt some people. She accepted her mistake, deleted the video, and apologised. The West Bengal Police acted quickly and took action against her. But what about the deep pain caused when elected leaders and MPs from TMC mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is insulted and called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift arrest?"
He added, "Blasphemy should always be condemned! Secularism is not a shield for some and a weapon for others. It must work both ways. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Please act justly for everyone."
Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also spoke out in support of Sharmishta Panoli. She urged the authorities to release the 22-year-old influencer, who was sent to judicial custody by a Kolkata court after her arrest in Gurugram, Haryana.
Kangana said, "Harassing someone in the name of law and order is not right. She apologised and deleted the post, yet she is being put in prison, tortured, her career ruined, and her character questioned. This should never happen to any daughter."
She added, "I urge the West Bengal government not to turn the state into North Korea. Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her comments, which were general and in the kind of language today's generation uses normally, both in English and Hindi. She should be released soon because she is very young and has her whole career and life ahead of her."
Sharmishta Panoli, a law student from Pune, Maharashtra, was arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday night from Gurugram. She was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata on Saturday, which sent her to judicial custody for 14 days.
According to Kolkata Police, several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but they could not be reached as they were absconding. Following this, the court issued an arrest warrant, leading to her detention in Gurugram.
The police said, "This case relates to an Instagram video by Sharmishta Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. An FIR was registered at Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve notice as per the law were unsuccessful as the accused and her family were absconding. Subsequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the court, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram yesterday."
It is important to note that Panoli had deleted the controversial video and apologised on 15 May.
Inputs from ANI
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pawan Kalyan said, "During Operation Sindoor, Sharmishta, who is a law student, spoke out. Her words were regrettable and hurt some people. She accepted her mistake, deleted the video, and apologised. The West Bengal Police acted quickly and took action against her. But what about the deep pain caused when elected leaders and MPs from TMC mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is the outrage when our faith is insulted and called 'Gandha Dharm'? Where is their apology? Where is their swift 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.
— Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) May 31, 2025
But what about the deep, searing pain inflicted… pic.twitter.com/YBotf34YYe
He added, "Blasphemy should always be condemned! Secularism is not a shield for some and a weapon for others. It must work both ways. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Please act justly for everyone."
Actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also spoke out in support of Sharmishta Panoli. She urged the authorities to release the 22-year-old influencer, who was sent to judicial custody by a Kolkata court after her arrest in Gurugram, Haryana.
Kangana said, "Harassing someone in the name of law and order is not right. She apologised and deleted the post, yet she is being put in prison, tortured, her career ruined, and her character questioned. This should never happen to any daughter."
She added, "I urge the West Bengal government not to turn the state into North Korea. Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her comments, which were general and in the kind of language today's generation uses normally, both in English and Hindi. She should be released soon because she is very young and has her whole career and life ahead of her."
Sharmishta Panoli, a law student from Pune, Maharashtra, was arrested by Kolkata Police on Friday night from Gurugram. She was produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata on Saturday, which sent her to judicial custody for 14 days.
According to Kolkata Police, several attempts were made to serve legal notices to Panoli and her family, but they could not be reached as they were absconding. Following this, the court issued an arrest warrant, leading to her detention in Gurugram.
The police said, "This case relates to an Instagram video by Sharmishta Panoli that hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. An FIR was registered at Garden Reach Police Station. Attempts to serve notice as per the law were unsuccessful as the accused and her family were absconding. Subsequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the court, based on which she was arrested from Gurugram yesterday."
It is important to note that Panoli had deleted the controversial video and apologised on 15 May.
Inputs from ANI
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