The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed multiple police complaints against Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra, seeking legal action and her arrest over a poster she was photographed holding during a student protest in Kolkata on July 24.

The demonstration, held in the Esplanade area, was organised in protest against the alleged NEET examination paper leak and demanded the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down the following day amid widespread student protests.According to the BJP, the poster carried an objectionable and derogatory depiction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP leader and spokesperson Keya Ghosh lodged one of the complaints at Anandapur Police Station, while similar complaints were reportedly submitted to the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station and other police stations across West Bengal.

The complaints invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections related to provoking a breach of peace, supporting provocative conduct and defamation.

The BJP has argued that while political dissent is a democratic right, it does not justify public defamation or depictions that could disturb public harmony.Responding to the allegations, Sreelekha Mitra denied intentionally displaying the image.

She stated that she attended the protest to express solidarity with students and claimed she was not wearing her prescription glasses at the time, preventing her from clearly seeing the contents of the poster.She also said the photograph was taken hurriedly during a police baton charge and that she never examined the reverse side of the poster.Mitra rejected accusations that she deliberately insulted the Prime Minister or acted in an anti-national manner.The matter has now become the subject of police complaints, with the BJP warning that it may approach the court if no action is taken.