New Delhi (Sputnik): Twitter users appear to be up in arms after a 25-year-old female political activist was sent to judicial custody in the Indian state of West Bengal for sharing a meme of Priyanka Chopra's recent hairstyle on the State's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Bharatiya Janata Party activist, Priyanka Sharma, was reportedly apprehended on Friday and produced before the chief judicial magistrate on Saturday, who remanded her into 14-day judicial custody.
— chowkidar ಕಡಪ ರವಿ (@Ravindr97787783) May 8, 2019
This was Priyanka Chopra's costume and hair style during the recently concluded MET 2019 Gala event, which was the "real" original inspiration of the meme targeting Mamata Banerjee.
Met 2019#MimiCuttrell @PatiDubroff #BokHee @PattieYankee @Chopard @Dior @voguemagazine @metmuseum pic.twitter.com/cnhMpq3wTH
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) May 7, 2019
Netizens reacted very strongly to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government's crackdown on Priyanka Sharma's right to free speech. People demanded her immediate release.
Bhoot Bhoot!!!
— CHOWKIDAR The Third Eye (@TheThir09952551) May 11, 2019
Bhoi Nei
Buke Aachen#JaiShriRam #JaiShriRam #JaiShriRam
Aei @MamataOfficial Aar Na Aar Na#PhirEkBaarModiSarkar #ISupportPriyankaSharma pic.twitter.com/a5Hzf1qpWY
Forget humor, any sort of expression is dead in @MamataOfficial's Bengal. Priyanka Sharma, our district executive member, @bjym4howrah was arrested for posting a Met Gala-themed meme on Mamata Banerjee ji.#ISupportPriyankaSharma and Mamata Didi must release her immediately.
— Chowkidar Poonam Mahajan (@poonam_mahajan) May 11, 2019
Some users wanted the central government to intervene against what they perceived to be "state government" high-handedness.
I will urge to central https://t.co/UlinhpLZkU take immediate action on it.
— Santosh Batabyal (@BatabyalSantosh) May 11, 2019
Netizens called it an autocratic, despotic, and dictatorial trend.
Autocratic,despotic,dictatorial trends r d hallmark of @INCIndia & its offshoots like NCP, TMC n a hoard of such outfits. Nehru,Indira Gandhi,Rajiv Gandhi,Sanjay,Sonia, Pawar,Mamata r d ramifications of ths conundrum. People like Prez.Zail Singh,PM MMS suffered badly. @ranjanard
— Tapan Das (@TapanDa34910407) May 11, 2019
"Murder of democracy", one user commented.
Its a killing of democracy by Mamta banerjee
— Chowkidar Ashutosh Gupta (@ashutos86596178) May 11, 2019
We are condemed it
This tym ur tym us over mamta
Lotus will blossom in westbangel
Ayega to modi
Har har modi
Ghar ghar modi
"Sarcasm is very devastating weapon when used again tyrant", said a user, insinuating that Mamata Banerjee was a tyrant.
Sarcasm is very devastating weapon when used again tyrant.
— Chowkidar Abhay Joshi (@joabhay_123) May 11, 2019
The activist is facing heat for sharing a meme of another "Priyanka" — this one of the celebrity couple Nick-yanka — using a weirdo hairdo donned by the former Miss World diva during the MET 2019 Gala to make a caricature of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The "victim" of caricature is Mamata Banerjee, who is fighting hard to hold on to West Bengal state. Priyanka Sharma is the district club convenor of the opposition party's youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.