Sharmishta Panoli, a social media content creator, was arrested by Kolkata police from Haryana’s Gurugram after she reportedly delivered ‘communal’ remarks on Operation Sindoor, questioning Bollywood celebrities over their silence on the same.
Sharmishta Panoli (Image credit: X)
Sharmishta Panoli, a social media content creator, was arrested by Kolkata police from Haryana’s Gurugram after she reportedly delivered ‘communal’ remarks on Operation Sindoor, questioning Bollywood celebrities over their silence on the same.
Panoli, 22, later deleted the video and issued an ‘unconditional apology’. By then, as per media reports, an FIR had been filed in Kolkata. She was also sent legal notices but when she went untraceable, a court issued an arrest warrant which eventually led to her detention from Gurugram on Saturday, i.e., May 31.
Kangana Ranaut backs Panoli
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut backed Sharmishta Panoli, launching a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Speaking to mediapersons, Ranuat said, “I believe it’s not right to harass anyone like this, especially when someone has already apologized… I urge the Bengal government not to turn the state into North Korea. Everyone here has constitutional rights”.
Meanwhile, the influencer drew support from 7,000 kms away. Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure she is freed.
In a post on ‘X’, Wilders said, “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”.
