A professor of Ashoka University, M.A.A. Khan, was arrested on Sunday for a Facebook post that contrasted the “optics” of having Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as an Operation Sindoor spokesperson with the “hypocrisy” of the BJP’s “hate-mongering” against Muslims.

The arrest comes at a time when a BJP minister in Madhya Pradesh whose communally loaded comment on Colonel Qureshi prompted a high court directive for an FIR continues to be spared “coercive action” despite the Supreme Court refusing to protect him from any.

Khan’s arrest triggered widespread outrage at the “attack on free speech” and the BJP’s “double standard”.

Khan, also known as Ali Khan Mahmudabad, is associate professor and head of the department of political science at Ashoka University in Sonipat, located in BJP-ruled Haryana.

Sources said a police team of 12 to 15 arrived at his Delhi home at 7.30am while he was reading newspapers. He was arrested on charges such as endangering the country’s sovereignty and integrity and promoting enmity between different groups.

The FIR had been registered on a complaint from a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.

Last week, Haryana’s state commission for women had sent a notice to Khan for “disparaging women in the armed forces and promoting communal disharmony” with his Facebook post.

Khan’s May 8 post said: “Lastly, I am very happy to see so many right wing commentators applauding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi 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."

Khan’s post added : “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.”

Khan issued a statement on May 14 saying his remarks had been “completely misunderstood” and that the commission had “no jurisdiction whatsoever” in the matter.

“Contrary to the allegations, my post appreciated the fact that the armed forces chose Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh for the press conference to highlight that the dream of the founders of our Republic of an India united in its diversity, is still alive,” he said.

He described the commission’s move as “a new form of censorship and harassment” but added that he had “faith in the process of law”.

On Friday, around 1,100 people including eminent citizens such as Amit Bhaduri, Anand Patwardhan, Harsh Mander, Jayati Ghosh, Nivedita Menon, Ramachandra Guha and Romila Thapar signed a petition to the Haryana women’s commission, asking it to “stop harassing” Khan.

In a media statement on Sunday, Ashoka University said: “We have been made aware that Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad has been taken into police custody earlier today. We are in the process of ascertaining details of the case. The University will continue to cooperate with the Police and local authorities in the investigation, fully.”

The university had earlier distanced itself from Khan’s views.

Pollster Yashwant Deshmukh of C-Voter tweeted: “So the much learned, argumentative and much sensible person like @Mahmudabad has been arrested for his fully democratic remarks, but the foul mouthed minister from Madhya Pradesh is allowed to roam free with full security and protocol. Disgraceful, undemocratic, pathetic....”

Psephologist Yogendra Yadav said: “What is anti-women about this? How does this spread religious hatred or strife? And how on earth does it constitute an act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India?”

He added: “Also ask: while Prof Khan has been arrested, has anything happened to the MP minister who actually insulted Col Sofiya? What is the real message?”

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said: “Utterly condemnable…. His post was not anti-national or misogynistic. A mere complaint by a BJP worker made Haryana police take action.”

Madhya Pradesh tribal affairs minister Kunwar Vijay Shah had on May 12 said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent the “sister of terrorists” to strike at them, hyphenating Colonel Qureshi with the Pahalgam terrorists owing to their being co-religionists.

Madhya Pradesh High Court took suo motu cognisance and directed the registration of an FIR against the minister. The Supreme Court rapped Shah and refused to stay any “coercive action” against him, but agreed to hear his plea against the high court order.

Later, the high court pulled up the state police for their “weakly drafted” FIR against Shah. No further legal action has followed against the minister, nor has he been sacked, as demanded by the Opposition.

Many social media users accused the government of a double standard at a time when it was planning to send delegations abroad to showcase the country’s unity (and convey India’s stand against terrorism).

“You cannot allow dissent and healthy democratic debate at home but you want parliamentarians to put India’s case in front of the world. What is this double standard?” an X user, Sanjay Kumar, posted.

“Prof Khan’s post was about discrimination. The government wants parliamentarians to assert India’s unity and secularism in world capitals but what kind of message it is giving domestically.”