The BJP on Sunday lodged police complaints against Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra, seeking her arrest for allegedly displaying an obscene and offensive image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a students' protest rally in Kolkata.
BJP Files Police Complaint
A complaint against Mitra was lodged at the Anandapur Police Station by BJP leader and party spokesperson Keya Ghosh. Reports also emerged of complaints filed at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station and several other police stations across multiple districts.
The complaint invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, including sections 352 (provoking a breach of peace), 353 (publicly supporting provocative conduct), and 356 (defamation). It urged swift legal action against the actress.
"During this rally, Ms Sreelekha Mitra actively participated and publicly displayed a poster featuring a highly derogatory, objectionable and disrespectful cartoon/caricature depicting the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi," Ghosh's complaint stated.
The complaint emphasized that the poster was displayed in a prominent public space to mock, demean, and insult the constitutional head of the Government of India. "Expressing disagreement through political protest does not extend to public defamation, intentional insult intended to breach public peace, or outrageous depictions meant to incite public disharmony," it added.
Protest Over NEET Paper Leak
The protest took place on July 24 in Kolkata's Esplanade area, where a large number of demonstrators gathered against the alleged NEET examination paper leak. They demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who subsequently stepped down a day later amid student unrest in Delhi and other parts of the country.
Mitra joined the demonstration and posed for a photograph while holding the poster that later became the subject of controversy.
Actor's Response
Responding to the allegations, Mitra said she participated in solidarity with students and young people but claimed she was not wearing her prescription glasses and could not clearly see the poster she displayed. "The police were carrying out a baton charge at the time, so my photograph was hurriedly taken. I never even turned the poster around to check what kind of image of the PM it displayed," she explained.
Mitra denied any deliberate intent to offend. "I may be opposed to the BJP, but calling me an anti-national is completely ridiculous. It is equally absurd if anyone thinks that I deliberately chose to hold that poster and pose for the photograph," she said.
Ghosh, however, expressed outrage not just as a party leader but as a citizen. "Appropriate legal action should be taken against Sreelekha for sharing such an obscene image. Such conduct deserves strict punishment. She should be arrested immediately. Otherwise, we will approach the court," Ghosh stated.
