In a fiery response to recent events in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan has called out the alleged selective action of the West Bengal Police, questioning their silence on remarks made by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders that he claims insult Sanatana Dharma.
The controversy erupted after Kolkata Police arrested 22-year-old law student Sharmistha Panoli from her Gurugram residence over a social media post deemed objectionable. While she promptly deleted the post and issued a public apology, Pawan Kalyan expressed concern over what he called an “imbalanced approach” to religious sensitivities.
Taking to social platform X, the actor-turned-politician wrote,
“During Operation Sindoor, Sharmistha spoke words that were hurtful to some. She owned her mistake, deleted the video, and apologized. Yet, she was swiftly arrested. But what about the pain caused when elected MPs from TMC mock Sanatana Dharma? Where is their apology? Where is the justice?” Backing his words with action, Pawan also shared a video clip of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Eid address, where she labeled the BJP’s ideology as “Ganda Dharm” (dirty religion) and criticized its deviation from true Hindu principles.
Calling for balanced justice, he further said,
“Secularism should not be a one-sided shield. If blasphemy is a crime, it must be punished regardless of who commits it. West Bengal Police — the entire nation is watching. Be just to all.” Meanwhile, Sharmistha Panoli was produced before an Alipore court on Saturday and remanded to judicial custody till June 13. Her arrest followed a formal complaint lodged by Wajahat Khan on May 14, which alleged that her post insulted Islam and could incite communal disharmony. On May 16, the law student had publicly apologized on X, clarifying that she had no intention to hurt any community and had already taken down the content in question.
The incident has reignited debates around freedom of speech, religious sensitivity, and equal treatment under the law, with Pawan Kalyan now taking center stage in demanding fairness for all faiths — not just selective enforcement.
