India arrests Muslim professor over social media post on military operations

Professor’s comments criticizing the government spark communal disharmony allegations.

NEW DELHI (MNTV) – Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a political science professor at India’s Ashoka University, was arrested for a social media post commenting on military briefings about operations against Pakistan, according to local media reports.

The arrest, under laws related to communal harmony and subversion, followed a complaint by a youth leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mahmudabad criticized the “hypocrisy” of celebrating the inclusion of women army officers in the briefings while ignoring hate crimes, including lynching and property demolitions targeting Muslims.

His Facebook post referenced Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a Muslim officer, emphasizing that symbolic representation must lead to tangible change.

In a Facebook post on May 8, Mahmudabad had said, “I am very happy to see so many right wing commentators applauding Colonel Sophia Qureshi but perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynching, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the BJP’s hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens.”

“The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings is importantly but optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it’s just hypocrisy,” he had stated.

Mahmudabad had also advocated against war-mongering in his posts, calling for peace and mutual coexistence.

The Haryana State Commission for Women summoned Mahmudabad, claiming his remarks disparaged female officers and incited disharmony.

He defended his comments on X, stating they were misunderstood, adding, “My comments were about safeguarding citizens and soldiers. There is nothing misogynistic in them.”

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition filed by Mahmudabad, contesting his arrest by the Haryana police.

The controversy arises amidst growing criticism of the Modi government for its systemic Islamophobia.

Human rights organizations have condemned practices like “bulldozer justice,” targeting Muslim properties without due process.

Despite the Supreme Court’s order to cease “bulldozer justice,” authorities have continued to bypass the order.

Amnesty International has urged India to end anti-Muslim discriminatory demolitions, calling them unlawful and cruel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP-led government has faced allegations of enabling far-right Hindu vigilante groups to operate without accountability.

Support for Mahmudabad

Aakar Patel, chair of Amnesty International India, condemned the arrest as a violation of freedom of expression and an abuse of the sedition laws.

Patel called for an immediate release of Mahmudabad and urged the government to repeal legislation that suppresses critical voices, describing the charges as a tactic to silence dissent.

“Accusing Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad of sedition and other charges is not only absurd and completely unwarranted but also shows how authorities have been consistently misusing the law to target anyone who has a critical view in the country,” Patel said.

“Section 152 of the Indian criminal code, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which the professor has been accused of, is nothing but a new version of the old sedition law which the Supreme Court had stayed in 2022. In its new avatar, the law is once again being used to censor critical voices and create a climate of fear,” he added.

Professors and activists have rallied in support of Mahmudabad, with an open letter with 1,200 signatories condemning his arrest.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera criticized the arrest, asserting, “His only mistake is that he wrote this post. And his other mistake is his (Muslim) name.”

Khera accused the government of criminalizing dissent while allowing BJP leaders to demean the armed forces without repercussions.

He referenced BJP Minister Vijay Shah, who faced no action for publicly calling Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a Muslim army officer, the “sister of terrorists” due to her religion.

Mahua Moitra, a parliamentarian known for her dissent against Hindu nationalism, expressed outrage, calling the charges baseless and stating, “There is NOTHING in Mahmudabad’s FB post that is remotely offensive, let alone seditious.”

She also highlighted the silence of Ashoka University’s administration, criticizing their failure to defend their faculty member.

As reported by Maktoob Media, journalist Radhika Bordia highlighted that Mahmudabad’s “thoughtful posts, quoting the Gita, the Prophet, and Rumi, advocating against warmongering and emphasizing shared heritage,” are being unfairly labeled as “subversive acts.”

India and Pakistan recently agreed to a ceasefire after days of cross-border hostilities.

Experts argue that Mahmudabad’s arrest exemplifies shrinking spaces for dissent under India’s current political climate.