The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday filed police complaints against Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra, seeking her arrest over a poster she was seen holding during a students’ protest in Kolkata earlier this week.

According to the complaints, the poster carried an offensive depiction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protest took place on July 24 in the Esplanade area of central Kolkata and was linked to allegations of a NEET examination paper leak, with protesters demanding the resignation of then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Pradhan stepped down a day later, after mounting student unrest in Delhi and elsewhere in the country.

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BJP’s complaint and legal action

One of the complaints was lodged at Anandapur Police Station by BJP leader and spokesperson Keya Ghosh, while reports also mentioned filings at Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station and other police stations across districts.

The party alleged that Mitra had “actively participated” in the rally and publicly displayed a “highly derogatory, objectionable, and disrespectful” caricature of the prime minister.

The complaint said the poster was shown in a prominent public place to “mock, demean, and insult” the constitutional head of the government in full public view.

It invoked sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including provisions related to provoking breach of peace, supporting provocative conduct, and defamation and urged police to take legal action.

Mitra’s response

Responding to the allegations, Mitra said she had joined the protest in solidarity with students and young people but claimed she was not wearing her prescription glasses and could not clearly see the contents of the poster she was holding.

She said the police were carrying out a baton charge when her photograph was taken and added that she never turned the poster around to check the image printed on it.

Mitra rejected the allegation that she had deliberately posed with the poster, saying it was “completely ridiculous” to call her “anti-national” for what happened at the protest.

BJP presses for action

Ghosh said she considered the matter an insult not only as a BJP leader but also as a citizen and demanded immediate arrest.

She said, “She should be arrested immediately,” warning that the party would approach the court if police action was not taken.

The complaint argued that political protest does not extend to public defamation or intentional insult meant to breach public peace.

The controversy adds another legal dimension to the wider student protests that followed allegations of irregularities in the NEET exam and the resignation of Pradhan.

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FAQs

Q1: Why is the BJP seeking Sreelekha Mitra’s arrest?

The BJP has filed police complaints alleging that Sreelekha Mitra displayed an offensive poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a student protest in Kolkata.

Q2: What has Sreelekha Mitra said about the controversial poster?

Sreelekha Mitra said she joined the protest in solidarity with students and claimed she did not notice the poster’s contents because she was not wearing her glasses.