Social media influencer Sharmishtha Panoli has broken her silence following her arrest by Kolkata Police in an alleged hate speech case linked to a controversial video on Operation Sindoor. Speaking about the incident, Panoli said her remarks were driven by patriotism and emotional reaction to national events rather than religious hostility.
What Sharmishtha Panoli has said now
Addressing questions about her arrest, Panoli defended her intentions and denied deliberately targeting any religious group. She told IANS her views were shaped by grief and anger after terror-related incidents.
"My father always taught me that nothing comes before India. When the Pahalgam attack happened, it pained my heart deeply that innocent lives were lost due to religious differences. I wanted to stand up for them; it was my duty," she said.
She acknowledged that the language used in her video could have been better but maintained that hurting religious sentiments was never her goal. "Regarding the language I used, I am always striving to become better. Beyond that, I don't think I went out of my way to hurt any religious identity, that was not my intention."
Panoli further alleged that TMC members took her comments out of context and claimed there have been occasions where remarks against Hindu deities were defended as freedom of speech, while her own statements made in support of the armed forces were treated as hate speech. She also pointed out that she had already apologised but was still arrested after police reportedly travelled across states to detain her.
What led to the arrest
The controversy began after Panoli posted a video criticising several Bollywood actors, particularly “The Khans”, for their alleged silence on Operation Sindoor, India’s military action targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In the now-deleted video, she used strong and abusive language and made remarks referencing religion, which triggered widespread backlash online. One of her statements included:
"Earlier, I used to think Nabi was delusional as he thought 72 hoors would be waiting for them in heaven, but this woman is even more delusional, she thinks India opened fire without any reason. Have you heard of the Pahalgam attack and other terrorists that your nation has been sponsoring? Should we not retaliate? We are not the devotees of Mahatma Gandhi anymore."
The video quickly sparked outrage, with many users accusing her of making communal comments. Reports also suggested that she received heavy criticism and threats on social media.
Apology and legal action
Following the backlash, Panoli deleted the video and issued a public apology on X.
"I do hereby tender my unconditional apology. Whatever was put are my personal feelings and I never intentionally wanted to hurt anybody, so if anybody is hurt, I’m sorry for the same. I expect co-operation and understanding. Henceforth, I will be cautious in my public post. Again, please accept my apologies."
However, by that time, multiple complaints had already been filed in Kolkata alleging promotion of communal disharmony. Police said notices were sent to her during the investigation but she allegedly failed to respond.
She was arrested on May 30 and later produced before the Alipore Court in Kolkata, which remanded her to 14-day judicial custody.
