HomePoliticsBJP’s Agnimitra Paul Slams Mamata Government Over Influencer’s Arrest, Cites Double Standards...

BJP’s Agnimitra Paul Slams Mamata Government Over Influencer’s Arrest, Cites Double Standards on Free Speech

Kolkata: The arrest of 22-year-old Instagram influencer Sharmishta Panoli has sparked a political storm in West Bengal, with BJP leader and MLA Agnimitra Paul launching a fierce attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Calling the move a violation of democratic rights, Paul accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime of “selective justice” and thanked the Bar Council of India (BCI) and actress-politician Kangana Ranaut for standing by the law student.

Sharmishta, a Kolkata native currently studying law in Pune, was picked up from Gurugram on Friday night after a complaint was filed at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15. The FIR accused her of making “communal remarks” in a video linked to ‘Operation Sindoor’, alleging the clip promoted disharmony between communities and hurt religious sentiments.

However, Agnimitra Paul sees the arrest as an act of political and religious bias. “It is a clear message from the Mamata government that if you are a Hindu or a Muslim who is abusing or saying something against Muslims, you will not be spared, but if it is the opposite, no action will be taken,” Paul said.

She also questioned why no legal action was taken against TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, despite previous controversies involving him.

“The Mamata government only works for the Muslims, not for Hindus… The police of the state today only see a religion,” she added.

Calling the incident a “wake-up call” for the people of West Bengal, Paul said, “Hindus of West Bengal also need to rise; they are sleeping under the cloud of secularism. We need to have a neutral government.”

In an appeal that transcended religious lines, Paul called upon all Indians — “Hindu or Muslim” — to speak out against what she called an unjust and disproportionate act by the state.

“I thank the Bar Council of India and Kangana Ranaut for their courage. We must unite and oppose this injustice,” she urged.

Kangana Ranaut had earlier expressed support for Panoli on social media, criticizing the arrest and framing it as a threat to freedom of expression.

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