Ashoka University’s Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been arrested after a complaint by a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing, confirmed his lawyer to Scroll. The complaint was linked to Mahmudabad’s social media comments on the press briefings related to Operation Sindoor.
Police in Sonepat’s Rai area filed the case on Saturday following a complaint by Yogesh Jatheri, the general secretary of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha in Haryana. The professor has been charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting communal disharmony, inciting rebellion or secession, and insulting religious beliefs.
Earlier this week, the Haryana State Women’s Commission also summoned Mahmudabad. The commission claimed his comments about the press briefings insulted women officers in the armed forces and spread communal tensions.
Commission chairperson Renu Bhatiya told India News, “On May 15, we visited the university, and were hoping that the registrar and vice-chancellor would call him there. But he did not appear there either. We don’t think that we need any more proof.” She added that Mahmudabad had ignored an earlier summons sent for May 14.
In a social media post on May 8, Mahmudabad had referred to Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who spoke at the media briefings on India’s military action against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He wrote:
“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.”
He added that the presence of Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at the briefings was symbolically significant but warned:
“Optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it’s just hypocrisy.”
Mahmudabad said the commission had “completely misunderstood” his remarks and that their notice did not show how his post went against women’s rights.
“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 issued a statement saying the professor’s comments do not reflect the institution’s views.
Mahmudabad is the head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University. He earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge and has also studied at the University of Damascus and Amherst College in the United States.