Was 'tortured' in jail, will not apologise: Priyanka Sharma Kolkata: Walking free after remaining in jail for five days for sharing a meme on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Priyanka Sharma said on Wednesday that she was "tortured" in jail and that she would not tender an apology for sharing the meme. Kolkata: Walking free after remaining in jail for five days for sharing a meme on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker Priyanka Sharma said on Wednesday that she was “tortured” in jail and that she would not tender an apology for sharing the meme. Sharma, who was picked […] Sharma, who was picked up by the police on Friday, also vowed to fight a court battle to clear her name as she had "done no wrong". The Supreme Court had on Tuesday ordered Sharma's release, following which she was set free at around 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday. "They tortured me in jail. The jailor pushed me," claimed Sharma who complained that the jail staff behaved very rudely with her and did not let her speak to anyone for five days. "Even after I was given bail, they didn't allow me to talk to anyone," she said. Sharma also said that water was a big problem in the jail and that the women's toilet had no water. "I will now prepare for my court battle to clear my name and win the case," she said. The Supreme Court is set to hear the case again in July when it would be decided if Sharma should go by the West Bengal government's stand that she tender an apology for sharing the meme on social media. "I have done no wrong. So why should I apologise," Sharma said as she questioned why did the police target her when a lot of people had shared the post. "Why are they not arresting the many other people who shared the post," she asked. Sharma was arrested on May 10 in Howrah district for allegedly sharing Banerjee's morphed picture on Facebook. A complaint was lodged at the Dasnagar Police station against Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, for violating community guidelines. Sharma allegedly used Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra's image taken at the recent MET Gala event to make the meme. The theme for this year's MET Gala was 'Camp: Notes on Fashion'.<doc-sep>The complaint said it was a malicious effort to define Mamata Banerjee (File) The mother of BJP's youth wing worker who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the underlying reason for the action was her association with the BJP. "My daughter was arrested because she worked for the BJP. This is all part of a big plot. This is the first time she is far away from us. Had she been a TMC (Trinamool) worker nothing bad would have happened to her, this is all done by TMC. The fact that she is in jail has increased our worries," Priyanka Sharma's mother was quoted by news agency ANI as saying. The activist, Priyanka Sharma, is accused of sharing on her Facebook timeline a photo in which Mamata Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on the form of actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the MET Gala in New York. She was picked up by the police from her home. She has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. Her brother said he was not allowed to meet her initially. The police relented after he put pressure. Priyanka Sharma's security was at risk, her brother claimed, as her entry was not recorded even 24 hours after her arrested. He claimed BJP leader Poonam Mahajan called him to Delhi, ANI reported. "I will take the matter to Supreme Court to save my sister", he said. The BJP's youth wing chief in Kolkata, Om Prakash Singh, said the action against Ms Sharma was wrong, not what she did. "Social media is a place where everybody wants the freedom to express. It is shameful that Mamata Banerjee is curbing freedom on that platform. Priyanka just shared an edited photo which was already viral on the platform. There is nothing vulgar or shameful in the photo," he said. A complaint filed at Dasnagar Police station against Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, accuses her of "violating community guidelines", an official of Howrah City police's Cyber Cell is quoted as telling news agency IANS. The complaint was reportedly filed by a Trinamool leader, Bibhas Hazra. The arrest has provoked anger and strong protests, not just by the BJP but also by other social media users. The BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma called it an "emergency-like situation" in Bengal. "Appalled at an Emergency-like situation in WB. Freedom of expression is severely curbed. Priyanka Sharma, executive member of @bjym4howrah has been sent to 14-day police custody for posting a Met Gala-themed meme on @MamataOfficial," Mr Sarma tweeted.<doc-sep>The West Bengal police arrested a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Howrah district on Friday for allegedly sharing a photoshopped image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, IANS reported. Banerjee’s face was photoshopped on a picture of Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra from the MET Gala in New York. The police said a complaint was filed against Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha member Priyanka Sharma at the Dasnagar police station. “Priyanka Sharma was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of the CM,” a police official told the news agency. Sharma, who is also the convenor of the BJP’s Mahila Morcha in Howrah, has been remanded to 14 days in judicial custody. Trinamool Congress leader Bibhas Hazra had lodged a complaint against Sharma on Wednesday, according to Anandabazar Patrika. “Such a despicable act with the chief minister’s picture is absolutely unacceptable,” Hazra told the daily. The BJP leader was arrested from her home on Friday. Sharma was taken for a medical examination to Howrah District Hospital, where BJP workers protested against her arrest. Protesters claimed that the arrest was politically motivated. However, BJP Yuva Morcha Vice President in Howrah, Anand Rai, said that they were not involved in distorting the chief minister’s picture and that it was only shared on social media. Rai also threatened to conduct protests if the authorities do not resolve the matter.<doc-sep>
The woman has been sent to 2 weeks' judicial custody for sharing a morphed photo of Mamata Banerjee. A BJP activist was arrested on Friday in West Bengal for allegedly sharing a morphed photo of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media. The activist, Priyanka Sharma, is accused of sharing on her Facebook timeline a photo in which Mamata Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on the form of actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the MET Gala in New York. She was picked up by the police from her home. She has been sent to two weeks' judicial custody. A complaint filed at Dasnagar Police station against Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, accuses her of "violating community guidelines", an official of Howrah City police's Cyber Cell is quoted as telling news agency IANS. The complaint was reportedly filed by a Trinamool leader, Bibhas Hazra. "This is a malicious effort to define our beloved CM who is working tirelessly for our state. We have lodged a police complaint and want stern action to be initiated. She has not just insulted our CM, but also the culture of Bengal," Mr Hazra reportedly complained. The charges cited on the complaint include "defamation and offensive messages". Priyanka Chopra chose a vibrant, edgy look with an unusual hairdo in her interpretation of the theme for the annual fundraiser this year was "Camp: Notes on Fashion". The arrest has provoked anger and strong protests, not just by the BJP but also by other social media users. The BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma called it an "emergency-like situation" in Bengal. "Appalled at an Emergency-like situation in WB. Freedom of expression is severely curbed. Priyanka Sharma, executive member of @bjym4howrah has been sent to 14-day police custody for posting a Met Gala-themed meme on @MamataOfficial," Mr Sarma tweeted. BJP workers also protested outside the police station where Priyanka Sharma was taken. The hashtag #ISupportPriyankaSharma also trended on Twitter. In 2012, Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University, was arrested for circulating an email with a caricature of Mamata Banerjee.