‘Calculated harassment’: Ashoka faculty backs Professor Mahmudabad over Operation Sindoor ‘optics’ comments: Why was he arrested?

The Ashoka University Faculty Association has strongly condemned the arrest of Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was taken into custody over his comments on Operation Sindoor, India’s recent military action targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In a statement released on Sunday, the faculty body described the charges against Professor Mahmudabad as “groundless and untenable”.

“We condemn the calculated harassment to which Professor Mahmudabad has been subjected: after being arrested early in the morning from his home in New Delhi, he was taken to Sonipat, not allowed access to necessary medication, and driven around for hours without any communication about his whereabouts,” the statement said.

Faculty praises Mahmudabad’s academic and civic record

The association voiced its full support for Professor Mahmudabad, calling him “an invaluable member of the university community, a deeply responsible citizen, and a friend to his students”.

It further added, “Professor Mahmudabad is well-versed in diverse literary and linguistic traditions and is a widely acclaimed expert and scholar of history and political science in South Asia and beyond. In all of his writing, both for academic and wider public fora, he has emphasized the importance of justice, pluralism, and solidarity, and has always advocated a profound respect for Constitutional values and morality.”

The faculty demanded his immediate and unconditional release and called for all charges to be dropped.

Why was Professor Mahmudabad arrested?

Professor Mahmudabad’s arrest followed a complaint taken up suo motu by the Haryana State Commission for Women, which objected to his social media post concerning Army Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, two prominent women officers who fronted media briefings during Operation Sindoor.

In its notice, the commission claimed that Mahmudabad’s comments undermined the role of women in the armed forces and incited communal tension.

What did the professor say?

In a Facebook post, Professor Mahmudabad had described the media appearances of Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as “optics” and added that “optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it's just hypocrisy.”

He further wrote, “I am very happy to see so many right-wing commentators applauding Colonel Sophia Qureishi, but perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing, and others who are victims of the BJP’s hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens.”

Mahmudabad says his words were misinterpreted

Responding to the summons issued by the commission, Mahmudabad denied that his post was misogynistic or disrespectful towards the officers.

“The screenshots attached to the notice make it clear that my remarks have been completely misunderstood and that the Commission has no jurisdiction whatsoever in the matter,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He added, “The Women’s Commission is a body that serves an important function; however, the summons issued to me fails to highlight how my post is contrary to the rights of or laws for women.”

The commission, however, has interpreted his comments as an attempt to discredit a national military operation.