Amid the ongoing row over the arrest of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, he has been sent to 14-day judicial custody over his controversial post on Operation Sindoor on Tuesday. As per media reports, Haryana police sought a seven-day remand before a Sonepat court sent the professor to judicial custody.
Ashoka University: Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad Sent To Jail For 14 Days In Operation Sindoor Post Case
Mahmudabad, who heads the political science department at Ashoka University, was arrested on Sunday after his social media post was perceived as critical of the armed forces and disrespectful to the women officers, Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who were the face of the media briefings on Operation Sindoor.
On Sunday, he was arrested for a social media post related to Operation Sindoor. The Haryana State Commission for Women took suo motu cognizance of his remarks while accusing him of undermining the dignity of women in the armed forces and promoting communal disharmony.
The professor was arrested following a complaint by Yogesh Jatheri, general secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha in Haryana. The Haryana State Commission for Women also filed a separate case.
What Was The Social Media Post All About?
In his social media post, Mahmudabad termed the media briefings on Operation Sindoor by Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as "optics" and "hypocrisy."
He also suggested that the "right-wing commentators" applauding Colonel Qureishi should also advocate for the victims of mob lynchings and those whose homes are "arbitrarily" bulldozed.
"The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings are important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it's just hypocrisy," an excerpt from his post read.
His arrest was widely criticised by several Opposition leaders including the TMC and AIMIM, who described the move as "deplorable" and "utterly condemnable".
Who is Ali Khan Mahmudabad?
Ali Khan Mahmudabad is an Associate professor and the Head of the Department of Political Science at Ashoka University in Sonipat in Haryana. Mahmudabad is the son of late Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, also referred to as the Raja Saheb of Mahmudabad.
His father fought a 40-year battle to retrieve ancestral properties that were seized under the Enemy Properties Act. Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, his grandfather, was the last ruling king of Mahmudabad and a key contributor to the Muslim league before India’s partition.
Ali was born on December 2, 1982 in Lucknow where he pursued his early education. He later attended King’s College School in the UK before graduating from Winchester College in 2001.
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He pursued his MPhil and PhD in Historical studies and from the University of Cambridge before studying Arabic at the University of Damascus in Syria.
He had also entered politics for a brief period joining the Samajwadi Party in 2017. His spouse also hails from a family with political inclinations. She is the daughter of Haseeb Drabu, a former minister in Jammu and Kashmir.
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