Ashoka University’s associate professor of Political Science, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, has been arrested by the Haryana police four days after the Haryana State Commission for Women summoned him over a Facebook post commenting on the media coverage of Operation Sindoor.

According to news website Scroll, the charges against him include sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita that relate to inciting communal disharmony, rebellion and insulting religious beliefs, a move that has triggered outrage across academic and activist circles.

Social activist Shabnam Hashmi took to X on Sunday, writing: “Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad was arrested by Haryana police today. He has been taken to some police station in Haryana. Strongly condemn this harassment. Haryana police needs to get an educated person to read his post. There is nothing anti-national or anti-women there. We demand his release. Kindly read his posts yourself @DGPHaryana, this has been done to harass him.”

The arrest comes in the wake of Mahmudabad’s May 8 post, where he pointed to what he called the “hypocrisy” in right-wing praise for women officers in the armed forces, while remaining silent on hate crimes and systemic injustices.

Here's what Mahmudabad had written on Facebook: “Lastly, 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. The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings is important but optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it’s just hypocrisy.”

He added: “Perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens.”

The Haryana State Commission for Women responded by accusing him of “disparaging women officers in the Indian armed forces” and “promoting communal disharmony”. The panel threatened criminal action if he failed to appear before them by May 23.

Mahmudabad responded that his comments were being deliberately twisted. “If anything, my entire comments were about safeguarding the lives of both citizens and soldiers. Furthermore, there is nothing remotely misogynistic about my comments that could be construed as anti-women,” he said. He also pointed out that the commission’s notice failed to establish any link between his remarks and an attack on women’s rights.

Over 1,100 people demand withdrawal of summons

Since his arrest, more than 1,100 people, including noted academics, historians, filmmakers, and rights activists, have signed a petition demanding the withdrawal of the summons and an apology from the commission.

“Haryana has one of the highest rates of crimes against women in India, and we urgently need to focus on addressing violence and strengthening the rights of women rather than inventing offences where there are none,” the petition read. “However, through its actions, the commission has shown how constitutionally protected freedom of speech continues to be under threat from forces that seek to spread hatred and destabilise India. We, the undersigned, demand that the Haryana State Women’s Commission retract its summons and issue a full and public apology to Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad for the manner in which it has deliberately and maliciously slandered him.”

Among the signatories are Amit Bhaduri, Anand Patwardhan, Harsh Mander, Jayati Ghosh, Nivedita Menon, Ramachandra Guha and Romila Thapar.