‘Action Only Against Sanatanis’: BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari Slams Bengal Govt Over Sharmishta Panoli’s Arrest

A Pune law student, Sharmishta Panoli, was arrested by Kolkata Police for allegedly offensive social media posts about Operation Sindoor.

West Bengal Assembly LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

Source : PTI

Sharmishta, a 22-year-old law student from Pune, was arrested on Friday night by Kolkata Police from Gurugram for allegedly making offensive remarks on a social media post on Operation Sindoor. Reacting to the arrest, West Bengal Assembly LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said that the FIR was filed against Mahua Moitra also, as she made derogatory comments about Goddess Kali. Was any action taken? the BJP leader asked.

"FIR was filed against Mahua Moitra also. She made derogatory comments about Goddess Kali. Was any action taken?,” Adhikari said as quoted by news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Kolkata | On Instagram Influencer Sharmishta Panoli's arrest, West Bengal assembly LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, "FIR was filed against Mahua Moitra also. She made derogatory comments about Goddess Kali. Was any action taken? What did their (TMC) MP, Saayoni… pic.twitter.com/Pc5xDeQU2p

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2025

Adhikari also said that 200 FIRs were registered against TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua but no action was taken against her.

“What did their (TMC) MP, Saayoni Ghosh, post regarding Mahadev? Was any action taken? There have been so many FIRs against Firhad Hakim, but there has been no action. The action is only taken against Sanatanis. Everyone here has a licence to abuse Sanatana... This is appeasement politics. A certain community is their vote bank and this is for appeasement. Mahua Moitra used derogatory language against Goddess Kali in a talk show, 200 FIRs were registered. No action was taken…,” he further asked.

The remarks come after Panoli was arrested on Friday. Panoli had deleted the alleged offensive post on Instagram and apologised for her remarks on X as well as on Instagram. She was produced before a Gurugram court today and was then brought to Kolkata on transit remand. Panoli was also produced before the Alipore CJM court. The court rejected police custody and sent her to judicial custody till June 13.

Kolkata, West Bengal: Kolkata Police arrested a law student Sharmistha Panoli from Pune in Gurgaon for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through social media posts on Operation Sindoor. She was brought to Kolkata on transit remand and produced before the Alipore CJM Court.… pic.twitter.com/jxDpcVSzlJ

— IANS (@ians_india) May 31, 2025

"The harassment you have done being in a democracy, this is not what democracy is,” she said today while being taken by the police.

Panoli reportedly made her Instagram account private after the video went viral and deleted all her posts from her other handle.

Amid the ongoing development, the issue has become a top trend on social media platforms like X with hashtags like #ReleaseSharmishtaand, among several others.