Lagatar24 Desk
Kolkata: Amid mounting political criticism and social media uproar, the Kolkata Police on Sunday defended its arrest of 22-year-old influencer and law student Sharmishta Panoli, calling the accusations of unlawful action and selective targeting “mischievous and misleading”.
Police responds to BJP’s charge
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had earlier accused the Kolkata Police of “uncharacteristic haste” and “selective enforcement” following Panoli’s arrest for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through a now-deleted video. The video, shared on her Instagram, sparked backlash and a legal complaint in Kolkata.
Official clarification on X
Taking to X, the Kolkata Police stated that claims suggesting Panoli was arrested for opposing Pakistan are “false” and misrepresent the facts. “Kolkata Police stands firmly with the citizens of India. Expressing national pride and patriotism is a right we all support,” the department said.
Arrest not over patriotism, says police
Clarifying further, the police noted, “The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or personal beliefs. Legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among communities.” Panoli was arrested late Friday night in Gurugram, Haryana, and brought to Kolkata where she was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody until June 13.
‘Hate speech isn’t free speech’
The police cited the newly implemented Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, stating that hate speech targeting religious figures, communities, or citizens with the potential to incite disharmony is a punishable offence. “Hate speech and abusive language should not be misconstrued as freedom of speech,” they said.
Political backlash continues
Despite the police’s clarification, the controversy continues to snowball. The BJP and NDA leaders have accused the West Bengal government of targeting ‘sanatanis’ while ignoring other communal content online. Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut also criticised the arrest, calling West Bengal “North Korea” in her social media post.
