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The arrest of 22-year-old law student and social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli has sparked a heated debate over free speech. The latest to join the debate is Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, who called Panoli's arrest a "blatant assault on freedom of expression" and "an absolute failure of justice".

In a strongly worded statement issued on June 1, Mishra, a senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP, demanded Panoli's immediate release. He accused the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police of taking politically motivated action.

Who Is Sharmishta Panoli And Why Was She Arrested?

Panoli was taken into custody by Kolkata Police on May 30 for a controversial video she posted on social media. In the video, she slammed prominent Bollywood celebrities for their silence on Operation Sindoor.

Sharmistha Panoli’s courage exposes the #Bengal government’s hypocrisy - swift to crush dissent, silent on hate from their own/selected.

Selective enforcement for vote-bank politics is a stain on democracy. #IStandWithSharmishtha #SharmisthaPanoli, #ReleaseSharmistha pic.twitter.com/IU1Ag0y9R3

— Manan Kumar Mishra (@MishraManan01) June 1, 2025

The video quickly drew widespread backlash for using offensive language and for making remarks that were seen as derogatory toward Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. After the uproar, Panoli issued an unconditional apology and removed the video.

Despite her public apology, authorities in Kolkata filed multiple FIRs against her under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, invoking charges such as promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious sentiments, and inciting public mischief. Police claimed she failed to respond to prior legal notices and arrested her in Gurugram under a court-issued warrant. She was presented before the Alipore Court and remanded to judicial custody until June 13.

'Panoli's Arrest A Political Vendetta'

In his statement, Mishra did not mince words. He alleged that the arrest was part of a larger pattern of "excessive, selective, and politically motivated" crackdowns on certain individuals, while others face little or no consequences.

He said: "Selective enforcement for vote-bank politics is a stain on democracy."

"History bears witness to the atrocities and violence perpetrated against specific groups in West Bengal, often with the complicity or direct involvement of government entities and political actors," he said in the statement.

He referenced past incidents such as the Marichjhanpi massacre, the Nandigram clashes, and the Murshidabad riots, accusing successive West Bengal governments of either complicity or willful inaction in the face of communal violence.

Mishra further slammed the state administration's opposition to Operation Sindoor, questioning the logic behind punishing someone who simply expressed discontent with that opposition. "It is deeply troubling that a young law student is being vilified for challenging the narrative—a narrative that, ironically, was never held accountable itself," he said.

Sharmistha Arrest: 'A Democracy Cannot Punish Dissent'

According to Mishra, branding Panoli's words as blasphemous was "unconscionable," especially after she had publicly apologised. He said Panoli was made a scapegoat, adding that democratic societies must tolerate even uncomfortable speeches as part of a broader commitment to free expression.

He argued that while Panoli's choice of words may have been ill-advised, the reaction from the state went far beyond proportionality. "True democracy demands impartiality, restraint, and the equal protection of rights—not selective outrage and vendetta," he said. "I call upon the Bengal government and its police to abandon this dangerous path of targeting select voices and to uphold the rule of law for all,” he said in the statement.