Ashoka University’s head of the Political Science Department, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, was recently arrested after two FIRs were lodged over his social media posts related to Operation Sindoor. The arrest came days after the Haryana State Commission for Women sent a notice to the professor, questioning his remarks, as well as a complaint filed by a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.
His arrest, however, faced harsh backlash, with many perceiving it as an attack on his right to freedom of expression and an act of discrimination.
His colleagues in the Ashoka University Teachers’ Association and JNU have condemned the arrest. The JNUTA expressed its outrage at the wholly unwarranted arrest by the Haryana Police of Dr. Khan.
His students have come out in his defense.
The arrest of this widely regarded teacher is not only arbitrary but also reflects a broader issue of discrimination against Muslim intellectuals who have increasingly called out intolerance by the establishment and its supporters. The government must stop its witch-hunting of voices critical of its policies and actions.