BJP Alleges Mamata Banerjee Favors Muslims Amid Sharmishta Panoli's Arrest; Kangana Ranaut Voices Support

Kangana Ranaut Voices Support: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut on Sunday condemned the West Bengal Police's arrest of content creator Sharmishta Panoli as harassment, and called on chief minister Mamata Banerjee's government to not turn the state into "North Korea".

Panoli was arrested late Friday night in Gurugram, Haryana, by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments via her 'communal' comments in formerly on her social media that have now been deleted.

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Panoli was sent to judicial custody to June 13 after police brought her from Gurugram to Kolkata on Saturday.

In reference to Panoli's arrest, Ranaut said that harassing someone in the name of law and order is bad.

“When someone has apologised and deleted the post, but putting her in prison, torturing her, ending her career and raising questions on her character is very wrong. This should not happen with any daughter,” Kangana Ranaut said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On the arrest of Sharmistha Panoli from Gurugram by Kolkata Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through her comments on social media, actor Kangana Ranaut says, "Harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good. When someone has apologised… pic.twitter.com/SEtPALH9lH

— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2025

She urged the West Bengal government “not to try to make the state into North Korea”.

"Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her indecent remarks. She had said everything in general and today's generation uses such language very normally- both in English and in Hindi. She should be released soon because she is a very young woman. She has her whole career and life ahead of her...," Kangana Ranaut said on Sunday.

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Sharmishta Panoli gets support

More politicians have provided support to the social media 'influencer' by calling on the West Bengal government to release her.

Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday, called on West Bengal Police to act "justly" in the matter of Panoli's arrest.

"Blasphemy must be condemned but secularism should not be used as a "shield," the deputy chief minister said.

“Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn’t a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all,” said Pawan Kalyan in a post on X.

West Bengal assembly LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday condemned the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the arrest of social media influencer Panoli, alleging that action is taken only against "Sanatanis."

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