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Sharmishta Panoli Row: Why Bengal Polices Action Reflects Selective Targeting
In Siliguri, despite attacks on Hindus, police are accused of being inactive, with perpetrators reportedly roaming free. Conversely, the Kolkata Police arrested 22-year-old Sharmistha from Gurugram, 1500 kilometers away, for allegedly making objectionable comments about a particular religion.
In today's DNA, Rahul Sinha Managing editor of Zee News decorded why Bengal police's action in Sharmishta Panoli case reflects selective targeting
Watch Today's Full Episode:
देखिए DNA LIVE @RahulSinhaTV के साथ#DNA #DNAWithRahulSinha #OperationSpiderWeb #RussiaUkraineWar #ZeeLive https://t.co/fBGxj66qhv — Zee News (@ZeeNews) June 2, 2025
The controversy extends beyond the police to the complainant against Sharmistha, Wajahat Khan. Allegations have surfaced regarding Khan's own track record of offensive social media posts concerning Hindu deities, which police have seemingly ignored. Furthermore, Khan is reportedly linked to the "Sky Foundation," an NGO with alleged connections to Pakistan and an office in Karachi.
While Sharmistha remains in judicial custody for 14 days, Wajahat Khan, despite his alleged derogatory comments, remains free. This has led to accusations that West Bengal Police are acting based on religious bias.
The Bar Council of India has also questioned the "selective pattern" of the police and the Mamata Banerjee government. Concerns have also been raised about the appointment of Inspector Naushad Akhtar as the investigating officer in Sharmistha's case.
Political reactions, including a shared old video of Mamata Banerjee by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, further fuel accusations of appeasement politics.
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Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Not only Hindus, need nationalist Muslims as well, says new Bengal BJP chief
Kolkata: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s new West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya on Sunday urged the 'open-minded, progressive, nationalist Muslims' to join hands with the party in the upcoming state polls to counter radicalisation and the 'silent war to change the demographic character of India'— a statement that invited sharp reaction from the ruling Trinamool Congress. BJP West Bengal President Samik Bhattacharya garlands a bust of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee on his birth anniversary in Kolkata on Sunday. (ANI) 'Radicalisation has spread everywhere but nobody can split Bengal again. A silent war is on since the 80's to change the demographic character of India. To counter this, we need not only Hindus but nationalist Muslims as well. The coming election is a test for Bengal's open-minded, progressive, nationalist Muslims,' Bhattacharya said, paying tribute to party ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, whose contribution in creation of West Bengal during Partition is hailed by the saffron camp, on his birth anniversary. Earlier on July 3, minutes after being declared president of the state unit, Bhattacharya had said: 'We need to protect and nurture the pluralistic character of West Bengal. Let Muharram and Durga puja immersion processions take place together. Muslims need to understand that BJP is not against them. We are only against those who have picked up stones and swords. We want to put books and pens in their hands instead.' 'Don't vote for the BJP if you think it is untouchable but face the mirror. At least 90 % of the people killed in clashes in recent years in Bengal were Muslims,' he had added. TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar on Sunday hit out at Bhattacharya. 'Bhattacharya has come up with a new recipe. He is trying to reach out to not only the Muslims but to the Left and Congress as well. One of his party leaders has taken the opposite line. The elections will be over by the time BJP clears its confusion. It will be left with no seats,' he said. He was referring to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, who has been prescribing since January that his party should ignore Muslims and focus entirely on Hindu votes for the 2026 polls– a view that has not been endorsed by the BJP national leadership. The Congress also slammed Bhattacharya over his remark. Former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, 'BJP's appeal to the Muslims is a tactical move. Their real target is to form a Hindu rashtra (nation) where Muslims will be treated as secondary citizens.' The BJP has been alleging for years that TMC chairperson and chief minister Mamata Banerjee allows illegal Bangladeshi migrants to settle down only to secure their votes. The party has focused on this narrative ever since crackdown on alleged illegal migrants began in BJP-ruled states a few months ago. According to surveys done by all parties, Muslim, who comprise around 30% of the state's population and are widely seen as the TMC's vote bank, play a decisive role in at least 120 of Bengal's 294 assembly seats, of which BJP could win only 75 in 2021. BJP fielded nine Muslim candidates but none could win. TMC, on the other hand, has 42 Muslim MLAs. Described as BJP's 'official party line' by state leaders, including former state president Sukanta Majumdar, Bhattacharya's strategy is being seen as a move to encourage Muslims to vote against TMC rather than for BJP. 'Not all Muslims are happy with the TMC regime. Lack of local employment forces millions of them to look for work in other states. Bhattarcharya's appeal may create a split in Muslim votes. Even if these votes go to the Left or Congress, BJP will be the ultimate beneficiary,' a senior state BJP leader said, requesting anonymity. He cited examples such as Murshidabad district, where Muslims comprise 66.28 % of the population, the state's highest, Congress won the Sagardighi assembly bypoll in 2023. TMC had to make the winner switch camps months later. In 2021, Muslims helped Nawsad Siddiqui's Indian Secular Front win the Bhangar seat in North 24 Parganas. 'In the recent assembly bypoll at Nadia district's Kaliganj, Muslim families that voted for CPI(M) were targeted by TMC workers. A 10-year-old child died in a bomb attack. TMC is wary about the minority community,' the leader added. Accusing the BJP of selectively targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims from her state, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has countered the allegations of partisan politics saying she treats people from all faiths equally. On Sunday, she also paid tributes to Mookerjee in a social media post, drawing flak from the Congress. Taking a jibe at her, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said: 'It is not surprising that Banerjee has paid tributes to Mookerjee. She always says good things about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Have you ever seen her criticising its chief Mohan Bhagwat?' On Sun, Jul 6, 2025 at 7:13 PM Tanmay Chatterjee wrote: Bengal BJP president's pluralistic approach, appeal to Muslims targeted by TMC Tanmay Chatterjee Kolkata: As the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated the birth anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, its icon, on Sunday, the party's new West Bengal unit president Samik Bhattacharya was targeted by the ruling Trinamool Congress for adopting a pluralistic approach to reach out to Muslims who comprise around 30% of the state's population and are widely seen as the TMC's vote bank. 'Radicalisation has spread everywhere but nobody can split Bengal again. A silent war is on since the 80's to change the demographic character of India. To counter this, we need not only Hindus but nationalist Muslims as well. The coming election is a test for Bengal's open-minded, progressive, nationalist Muslims,' Bhattacharya said on Sunday, referring to the 2026 assembly polls. He made the statement while paying homage to Mookerjee whose contribution in creation of West Bengal during Partition is hailed by the saffron camp. The eastern part of the undivided Bengal province became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1947 following the Two Nation Theory. The BJP has been alleging for years that TMC chairperson and chief minister Mamata Banerjee allows illegal Bangladeshi migrants to settle down only to secure their votes. The party has focused on this narrative ever since crackdown on alleged illegal migrants began in BJP-ruled states a few months ago. Accusing BJP of selectively targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims from her state, Banerjee has countered the allegations of partisan politics saying she treats people from all faiths equally. In sharp contrast to Bhattacharya's approach, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, has been prescribing since January that his party should ignore Muslims and focus entirely on Hindu votes for the 2026 polls. This, however, has not been endorsed by the BJP national leadership. According to surveys done by all parties, Muslim voters play a decisive role in at least 120 of Bengal's 294 assembly seats, of which BJP could win only 75 in 2021. BJP fielded nine Muslim candidates but none could win. TMC, on the other hand, has 42 Muslim MLAs. As the chief minister, too, paid tributes to Mookerjee in a social media post on Sunday, drawing flak from the Congress, TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar targeted both Bhattacharya and Adhikari. Majumdar said: 'Bhattacharya has come up with a new recipe. He is trying to reach out to not only the Muslims but to the Left and Congress as well. One of his party leaders has taken the opposite line. The elections will be over by the time BJP clears its confusion. It will be left with no seats.' Former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took jibes at the chief minister. He said: 'It is not surprising that Banerjee has paid tributes to Mookerjee. She always says good things about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Have you ever seen her criticising its chief Mohan Bhagwat?' 'BJP's appeal to the Muslims is a tactical move. Their real target is to form a Hindu rashtra (nation) where Muslims will be treated as secondary citizens,' Chowdhury added. On July 3, minutes after being declared president of the state unit, Bhattacharya said: 'We need to protect and nurture the pluralistic character of West Bengal. Let Muharram and Durga puja immersion processions take place together. Muslims need to understand that BJP is not against them. We are only against those who have picked up stones and swords. We want to put books and pens in their hands instead.' 'Don't vote for the BJP if you think it is untouchable but face the mirror. At least 90 % of the people killed in clashes in recent years in Bengal were Muslims,' he added. Described as BJP's 'official party line' by state leaders, including former state president Sukanta Majumdar, Bhattacharya's strategy is being seen as a move to encourage Muslims to vote against TMC rather than for BJP. 'Not all Muslims are happy with the TMC regime. Lack of local employment forces millions of them to look for work in other states. Bhattarcharya's appeal may create a split in Muslim votes. Even if these votes go to the Left or Congress, BJP will be the ultimate beneficiary,' a senior state BJP leader said, requesting anonymity. He cited examples such as Murshidabad district, where Muslims comprise 66.28 % of the population, the state's highest, Congress won the Sagardighi assembly bypoll in 2023. TMC had to make the winner switch camps months later. In 2021, Muslims helped Nawsad Siddiqui's Indian Secular Front win the Bhangar seat in North 24 Parganas. 'In the recent assembly bypoll at Nadia district's Kaliganj, Muslim families that voted for CPI(M) were targeted by TMC workers. A 10-year-old child died in a bomb attack. TMC is wary about the minority community,' the leader added. ends
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Maharashtra minister condemns assault on Hindi-speaking people, draws parallel with Pahalgam attack
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Amid violence against Hindi-speaking people, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Sunday drew parallels between the Pahalgam terror attack and the beating of "Hindus" in Mumbai, which he said is condoned by some a veiled attack on Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray who reunited on Saturday at a joint rally for the cause of Marathi people, Shelar said the state is watching how some leaders are "enjoying other Hindus being beaten up".The senior BJP leader's remarks come amid an outrage caused by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists thrashing a sweet shop owner in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for not speaking Saturday, MNS workers damaged the glass door of Mumbai-based share market investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli after he declared he would not speak Marathi and dared the party chief Raj row over speaking Marathi is escalating into a major political flashpoint ahead of the civic polls."In the Pahalgam terror attack, people were asked about their religion (by terrorists) before shooting them. Here, people are being attacked based on their language, which is disappointing."The state is watching how these leaders are enjoying other Hindus being beaten up," Shelar told reporters when asked about attacks on Hindi-speaking people allegedly by MNS terrorists shot dead 26 persons, most of them tourists, near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, leading to the launch of Operation Sindoor by India against terrorist bases in Pakistan and the largest party in Maharashtra, the BJP would safeguard the pride of Marathi people and also protect non-Marathi residents, Shelar said."Marathi is not a political issue for us," he Hindi language row erupted after the BJP-led Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (GR) making the learning of the language compulsory in primary the growing backlash from MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), the government amended the GR to make Hindi the "generally" third language before finally withdrawing both orders on June issue of Marathi identity and the "imposition" of Hindi is believed to be a catalyst for reuniting Uddhav and Raj Thackeray after almost 20 years on Saturday at a joint "victory" rally to celebrate the government's decision to scrap the GRs under the three-language elections to the high-profile Mumbai civic body and other municipal corporations approaching, the BJP waded into the language row, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserting that those resorting to violence over the Hindi language will face legal the joint rally, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray defended the Marathi pride, saying, We are goons if we have to do hooliganism for his part, Raj Thackeray asked the MNS cadres not to attack anyone over the language without leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane had objected to "Hindus" being targeted for not speaking in Marathi, while his cabinet colleague and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik said the MNS doesn't have monopoly over Marathi. PTI
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Ashish Shelar Compares MNS' Assault Over Marathi With Pahalgam Attack: ‘What's The Difference?'
Ashish Shelar said while terrorists had targeted tourists in Pahalgam based on their religion, people were being attacked in the state on linguistic lines, which was disappointing. Amid the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, state minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Sunday triggered a row after he drew parallels between the recent attacks on non-Marathi speaking people in Mumbai and the April 22's Pahalgam terror attack, saying that the victims in both cases were 'Hindus". 'In Pahalgam, people were killed because of their religion. Here in Maharashtra, Hindus are being assaulted only because of the language they speak. What's the difference?" Shelar said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai as quoted by news agency PTI. He further said while terrorists had targeted tourists in Pahalgam based on their religion, people were being attacked in the state on linguistic lines, which was disappointing. 'All these incidents cause pain, suffering, and mental distress. In Pahalgam, they shot them after asking about their religion. And here they beat up the innocent Hindus just because of the language they speak. Such cases create disturbance…" he said as quoted by news agency ANI. #WATCH | Mumbai: On Marathi language row, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar says, 'All these incidents cause pain, suffering, and mental distress. In Pahalgam, they shot them after asking about their religion. And here they beat up the innocent Hindus just because of the… — ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2025 In one of the biggest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Lashkar-linked terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday, April 22, killing at least 26 people, including foreign tourists, and injuring many others. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, claimed responsibility for the attack, although it later backtracked after massive global outrage. The minister further took a veiled attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who reunited on Saturday at a joint rally for the cause of Marathi people, saying that the state is watching how some leaders are "enjoying other Hindus being beaten up". Shelar later asserted that the BJP would defend the dignity of Marathi people, and would stand by non-Marathi residents and ensure their protection. 'Marathi is not a political issue for us," he said. Referring to speeches made at the joint rally of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, he said, 'As far as yesterday's program is concerned, one brother's speech is incomplete, and the other's is irrelevant. What Raj Thackeray said was not complete. He discussed Marathi, but did not elaborate on the entire topic." The Slapgate Row Shelar's remarks came amid heightened tensions following multiple incidents in Mumbai where workers of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) attacked shopkeepers and migrant workers allegedly for speaking Hindi instead of Marathi. Recently, a viral video showed a shopkeeper in the Mira-Bhayandar area being thrashed by individuals reportedly affiliated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for allegedly refusing to speak in Marathi. In another incident, five MNS workers were arrested for vandalising the office of Mumbai-based share market investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli after he declared he would not speak Marathi and dared the party chief Raj Thackeray. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier warned of strict legal action against those engaging in violence in the name of language. The row over speaking Marathi is escalating into a major political flashpoint ahead of the civic polls. Union Minister Backs Shelar Meanwhile, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale supported Shelar's statement, saying, 'Just as terrorists targeted tourists in Pahalgam based on religion, Raj Thackeray's party workers are attacking people asking them to speak Marathi." He also posed a question to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray that 'if people from Hindu community are being attacked, would you sit quietly, do you not follow Balasaheb's line of thinking?" What's The Three-Language Row? The Hindi language row erupted after the BJP-led Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (GR) making the learning of the language compulsory in primary schools. Amid the growing backlash from MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), the government amended the GR to make Hindi the "generally" third language before finally withdrawing both orders on June 29. The issue of Marathi identity and the "imposition" of Hindi is believed to be a catalyst for reuniting Uddhav and Raj Thackeray after almost 20 years on Saturday at a joint "victory" rally to celebrate the government's decision to scrap the GRs under the three-language policy. With elections to the high-profile Mumbai civic body and other municipal corporations approaching, the BJP waded into the language row, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserting that those resorting to violence over the Hindi language will face legal action. Addressing the joint rally, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray defended the Marathi pride, saying, We are goons if we have to do hooliganism for justice. On his part, Raj Thackeray asked the MNS cadres not to attack anyone over the language without provocation. Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : ashish shelar BJP maharashtra marathi mns pahalgam terror attack Raj Thackeray Location : Mumbai, India, India First Published: July 06, 2025, 19:05 IST News politics Ashish Shelar Compares MNS' Assault Over Marathi With Pahalgam Attack: 'What's The Difference?'
