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Sharmishta Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly making communal remarks on social media. She has now received support from a Dutch leader.
Sharmishta Panoli gets Dutch leader’s support (Photo: X, AP)
Sharmishta Panoli, a 22-year-old Pune law student, who was arrested by Kolkata Police for alleged communal remarks on social media despite her unconditional apology, has received support from a far-right Dutch leader.
Geert Wilders, an MP in the Dutch Parliament, who leads the right-wing Party for Freedom, described her arrest as a “disgrace for the freedom of speech”, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help her out of jail.
Dutch Leader Geert Wilders Supports Sharmishta 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!” Wilders posted on X, sharing a picture of the arrested influencer, on which “All Eyes On Sharmistha” was written.
Panoli was arrested by Kolkata Police yesterday for posting videos on social media, wherein she used strong language and alleged communal remarks. The student also criticised Bollywood actors for keeping mum during Operation Sindoor, while the nation backed the armed forces after the Pahalgam terror attack.
She was arrested based on the FIR filed against her at a police station in Kolkata. The FIR alleged that she promoted enmity and hurt religious sentiments with her remarks in a video, which she deleted later, and apologised for.
Political Row Erupts Over Arrest
A political controversy has erupted over the arrest by Kolkata Police of a Panoli on charges of making offensive remarks on Operation Sindoor and allegedly passing communal statements on social media.
The Bharatiya Janata Party lashed out at Mamata Banerjee’s police for their action, in which they travelled all the way to Gurugram to make the arrest within hours of the FIR, despite her unconditional apology and removal of the video. The BJP questioned the lack of action by the West Bengal Police in complaints against TMC leaders for their alleged provocative remarks for the Hindu community.
“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,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted on X.
Alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made “far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions”, Malviya questioned if law will 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,” he said.
West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari said that the “nationalist lawyers” will take up her case.
“DG @WBPolice where have you locked up your spine when Anubrata Mondal threatens your subordinate’s wife and mother with rape? I would like to assure everyone that the Nationalist Lawyers are taking up Sharmistha’s matter and the best legal defense will be provided to her, and I hope that she will be free from the clutches of the vile & vicious Mamata Police,” he said.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that her remarks did not create unrest at any place and she apologised for her remarks, yet the police arrested her “not for justice, but for appeasement”.
“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, call Jai Shri Ram a gaali, mock Maha Kumbh, and push communal poison — there’s no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is vote-bank vendetta. India is watching,” he said.
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes…Read More
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes… Read More
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