Ashoka University associate professor arrested for social media posts on Operation Sindoor

Ashoka University’s head of the political science department, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, was arrested on Sunday after two FIRs were lodged on stringent charges, including endangering sovereignty and integrity, for his social media posts related to Operation Sindoor, police and his lawyer said

Sonipat (Haryana): Ashoka University’s head of the political science department, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, was arrested on Sunday after two FIRs were lodged on stringent charges, including endangering sovereignty and integrity, for his social media posts related to Operation Sindoor, police and his lawyer said.

The arrest comes days after the Haryana State Commission for Women sent a notice to the assistant professor questioning his remarks, though Mahmudabad had maintained that they were “misunderstood” and asserted that he had exercised his fundamental right to freedom of speech.

“Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been arrested in Delhi,” Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rai, Ajeet Singh said over phone, adding the action came in connection with some comments related to Operation Sindoor.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Narender Kadyan said two FIRs were lodged at the Rai police station here — one based on a complaint from the chairperson of Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other on the complaint of a village sarpanch.

“On the Commission chairperson’s complaint, the FIR has been lodged against Prof Ali of Ashoka University under BNS sections 152 (acts endangering sovereignty or unity and integrity of India), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 79 (deliberate actions aimed at insulting the modesty of a woman) and 196 (1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion),” Kadyan told reporters here.

“He has been arrested today…Two FIRs have been registered at the Rai police station,” he said.

Police remand of Ali will be taken on the basis of a complaint of the Commission, he said.

According to the DCP and one of Mahmudabad’s lawyers, Kapil Balyan, another complaint against the associate professor was lodged on Saturday by a local sarpanch. Balyan claimed the sarpanch “is also associated with state BJP Yuva Morcha”.

“The case was lodged on Saturday and the next morning, the professor was arrested from Delhi. No notice was given to him and he was taken into custody by police,” the lawyer said.

They said the case has been lodged on sarpanch’s complaint under BNS sections 152, 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 197 (imputations, assertions, prejudicial to national integration) and 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).

All these sections are non-bailable.

In a statement, the Ashoka University said it was trying to ascertain details of the case and will continue to cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation.

“We have been made aware that Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been taken into police custody earlier today. We are in the process of ascertaining details of the case,” it said.

“The University will continue to cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation, fully,” it said.

The CPI(M), AIMIM leader Asaddudin Owaisi and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra were among those who condemned the arrest.

“Haryana police reportedly arrested him from Delhi, violating legal process. This targets an individual for his opinions; his post wasn’t anti-national or misogynistic. A mere complaint by a BJP worker made Haryana police take action,” the Hyderabad MP said on X.

In a post on X, the CPI (M) said, “We condemn the arrest of professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad for his social media post against hate. While hate-mongers like Vijay Shah (Madhya Pradesh minister) roam free, those calling for justice and peace are targeted in Modi’s India.”

TMC leader Mohua Moitra said they will move the court against the arrest.

“Horrified at arrest of distinguished scholar & academic Prof @Mahmudabad – has this bigoted govt & @police_haryana totally lost it? We are moving court asap (sic),” she said on X

In its May 12 notice, the Haryana State Commission for Women mentioned that the panel has taken suo motu cognisance of the “public statements/remarks” made “on or about May 7” by Mahmudabad.

Mahmudabad’s remarks had been annexed to the Commission’s notice, and in one of them, he said that right-wing people applauding Col Qureshi should demand protection for victims of mob lynchings and “arbitrary” bulldozing of properties.

The associate professor described the media briefings by Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as “optics”. “But optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it’s just hypocrisy,” he had said.

The Commission said an initial review of Mahmudabad’s remarks has raised concerns about the “disparagement of women in uniform, including Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh, and undermining their role as professional officers in the Indian Armed Forces”. Wing Commander Singh had briefed the media alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Col Qureshi on Operation Sindoor.

Indian armed forces hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7 under Operation Sindoor in retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

The associate professor had earlier said that the Commission has “misread” his comment.

“…I am surprised that the Women’s Commission, while overreaching its jurisdiction, has misread and misunderstood my posts to such an extent that they have inverted their meaning,” Mahmudabad had said on X.

He had said that he had exercised his “fundamental right to freedom of thought and speech in order to promote peace and harmony and to applaud the Indian armed forces for their resolute action, while criticising those who preach hatred and seek to destabilise India”.