Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at Ashoka University, was arrested on Sunday following remarks he made about press briefings related to Operation Sindoor. His lawyer confirmed the arrest to Scroll, stating it was based on a complaint filed by a member of the BJP’s youth wing.
Mahmudabad faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for actions seen as harmful to communal harmony, promoting disharmony, inciting rebellion or secession, and insulting religious sentiments.
The FIR was registered on Saturday at Rai police station in Haryana’s Sonepat district after a complaint by Yogesh Jatheri, general secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha. Mahmudabad was detained from his Delhi residence on Sunday morning and is currently being held at Rai police station, as reported by The Edict, Ashoka University’s student-run publication. Faculty and activists have assembled outside the station demanding clarity.
Earlier, the Haryana State Women’s Commission had issued a summons to Mahmudabad, accusing him of disparaging female officers in the armed forces and promoting communal tension. The panel’s chairperson, Renu Bhatiya, claimed the professor skipped a hearing on May 14 and failed to appear when officials visited the campus the following day.
In a May 8 social media post, Mahmudabad, who heads the political science department, questioned the praise Hindutva supporters gave Colonel Sofia Qureshi, who had represented the Army in briefings on cross-border military operations. He pointed out the contradiction of such praise while mob lynching and state-led violence continue under the BJP.
He also stressed that while the representation of officers like Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh in such briefings was symbolically powerful, it needed to reflect genuine change on the ground to avoid being labeled hypocritical.
The Women’s Commission accused him of undermining military efforts and demanded a written explanation and evidence supporting his views. Mahmudabad, however, argued that he was simply exercising his constitutional right to free speech in support of peace and harmony.
He claimed his remarks were misinterpreted and said the notice failed to explain how his comments were offensive to women. He insisted that his statements aimed to protect both civilians and soldiers, and did not contain any misogynistic content.
Ashoka University distanced itself from Mahmudabad’s comments, stating they were his personal views. A Cambridge PhD holder, Mahmudabad has also studied at the University of Damascus and Amherst College in the US.
