Sharmishtha Panoli calls her arrest over Operation Sindoor post a ‘sign of appeasement politics’ by former Mamata government
The Statesman | 9 May 2026
Law student Sharmishtha Panoli, who was arrested last year over a controversial social media post related to Operation Sindoor, has once again spoken out against the then Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. On the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, she said her arrest reflects what she called “appeasement politics” in West Bengal.
According to Panoli, the incident has two sides. She argued that her comments were made in support of the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, but were later “taken out of context” and labelled as religious hate speech. She also said that similar remarks made by some Trinamool Congress leaders against Hindu gods and goddesses were, in her view, not treated with the same seriousness and were instead defended under the idea of free speech.
Her arrest in Kolkata took place after an FIR was filed in May 2025, leading to a legal and political controversy that has continued to be discussed.
Panoli alleged that the West Bengal Police went beyond normal procedure in her case. She claimed that officers travelled across five different states to arrest her, despite her having already issued an apology for the post.
Calling the action unnecessary, she said it was a clear example of what she described as “appeasement politics” and an “abuse of power” by the state government at that time. She questioned why such extensive resources were used in her arrest, especially since she is a law student and had already expressed regret over her comments.
She also described the experience as shocking, saying she did not expect the state machinery to act so strongly in her case.
Panoli further claimed that her arrest was not just a legal matter but part of a larger political strategy. According to her, the reaction of the Mamata Banerjee-led government was influenced by “vote bank politics.”
She alleged that the government was trying to please a specific group of voters, and her case was used as a political example. She also expressed surprise that, in her view, the state had enough resources to pursue her case across states but did not act with the same urgency in other important matters.
Panoli specifically mentioned the RG Kar case, questioning why similar effort was not shown in dealing with corruption-related issues or delivering justice in other cases, according to her statement.
While defending herself, Panoli also acknowledged that the language used in her original post was problematic. She clarified that her intention was never to hurt any religious sentiment. Instead, she said she wanted to express support for victims of the Pahalgam attack and speak against terrorism linked to Pakistan.
However, she maintained that her message was misinterpreted, leading to personal and family harassment.
Looking at the current political situation, Panoli expressed satisfaction with the change in government in West Bengal. She said she feels “happy and proud” that, according to her, the people of Bengal supported democracy through their vote and brought political change.