Ashoka University Professor Arrested Over Controversial Comments on Operation Sindoor
Arrest of Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an Associate Professor at Ashoka University, has been taken into custody following remarks he made regarding press briefings on Operation Sindoor. This action was initiated after a complaint from a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing, as confirmed by his legal representative.
Mahmudabad faces charges under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which address actions detrimental to communal harmony, inciting rebellion, and insulting religious sentiments.
The complaint was lodged by Yogesh Jatheri, the general secretary of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha in Haryana.
Earlier this week, the Haryana State Women’s Commission asserted that Mahmudabad’s statements regarding the media briefings were derogatory towards women officers in the Indian armed forces and fostered communal discord.
In a social media post dated May 8, Mahmudabad, who leads the political science department at the university, pointed out the irony of Hindutva commentators lauding Colonel Sofia Qureshi.
He remarked, “Perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens.”
Mahmudabad emphasized that while the visuals of the press briefings by Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh were significant, they must lead to tangible outcomes; otherwise, they are merely hypocritical.
The professor stated that his comments were “completely misunderstood” by the commission, which failed to recognize that his posts were aligned with the rights and laws concerning women.
He further clarified, “If anything, my entire comments were about safeguarding the lives of both citizens and soldiers. Furthermore, there is nothing remotely misogynistic about my comments that could be construed as anti-women.”
Ashoka University has stated that Mahmudabad's views do not reflect the institution's stance.