Teachers back Ashoka varsity prof. arrested for remarks on Op Sindoor

Teachers from different universities have come out in support of Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at the Sonipat-based Ashoka University, arrested for his on , terming the act an “infringement” on the right to freedom of expression.

Haryana Police arrested Mahmudabad, the head of Ashoka University’s political science department, on Sunday, 18 May after two FIRs were registered against him, alleging his social media posts on Operation Sindoor endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

A Sonipat court on Tuesday sent Mahmudabad to judicial custody until 27 May. One of Mahmudabad's lawyers, Kapil Balyan, said the associate professor was produced before a court in Sonipat this afternoon upon the expiry of his two-day police remand.

"The police sought an extension of his remand by seven days. During the arguments, we opposed the extension of the police remand... The court has sent him to judicial custody till 27 May," Balyan said.

A plea by Mahmudabad against his arrest is likely to come up before the Supreme Court tomorrow, Wednesday. On Monday, the apex court had agreed to examine the plea. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih noted the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the associate professor, and said the plea would come up on Tuesday or Wednesday. "He has been arrested for a patriotic statement. Please list it during the day," Sibal had insisted.

My statement re the summons that I received from the Haryana State Women’s Commission.

The posts that were misunderstood and objected to can be accessed on my Facebook page. pic.twitter.com/U4rZrAXhFx

— Ali Khan Mahmudabad (@Mahmudabad) May 14, 2025

Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) president Surajit Mazumdar said the arrest was an insult to the memory of those whose lives were lost in the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan. Stressing that there was “absolutely nothing” in Mahmudabad’s statements that violated the law, Mazumdar said, “If one individual’s right can be infringed today, the same can happen to others.”

“You (the government) take action against an innocent person. Even if the man gets bail tomorrow, the sufferings of that person and his family can not be justified. I demand the judiciary not only to see whether he can get bail, but also to hold those who use the law inappropriately accountable,” Mazumdar said.

Ashoka University students’ union president-elect Insha Hussain also echoed similar views and said they demand justice for their professor.

In a video message, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, also a faculty member in Delhi University’s department of social work, said Mahmudabad’s arrest raises several questions.

“On one hand is a minister from Madhya Pradesh who makes and yet gets away. But our colleague from Ashoka University — who stated facts and narrated incidents with a perspective — was put behind bars. And we thought you are not closed for being open in a true democracy!

“It is time to show solidarity. It is time to tell our prime minister and the entire regime that while you send goodwill missions abroad, do not forget to spread the spirit of the same mission in India — in our universities, in every village and in every city,” Jha said.

Dhiraj Nite, a professor at Ambedkar University Delhi, said rationalist human beings “are at the receiving end” in the country. “We demand protection for freedom of expression and speech. We also wish for peace to flourish in both the countries,” he said.

The FIRs against Mahmudabad were lodged at the Rai police station in Sonipat district — one based on a complaint by Haryana State Commission for Women chairperson Renu Bhatia, and the other on a complaint by a village sarpanch.

The faculty association of Ashoka University, as well as its students, have condemned Mahmudabad’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.