The Crossbill News Desk
Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad of Ashoka University was arrested in Delhi on Saturday (May 17) following controversy over his recent social media remarks concerning India's military operation, ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajeet Singh Rai confirmed the arrest to news agency PTI.
The arrest follows a notice issued by the Haryana State Commission for Women, which took suo motu cognisance of Mahmudabad’s comments. The Commission alleged that his remarks not only disrespected women officers in the Indian armed forces but also stirred communal disharmony.
In response, Mahmudabad denied the allegations, calling the interpretation of his remarks misguided.
“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. The Women's Commission is a body that serves an important function; however, the summons issued to me fail to highlight how my post is contrary to the rights of or laws for women,” he said in a statement on X.
In his now-controversial social media posts, Mahmudabad had questioned what he called the “optics” of having women officers lead media briefings on Operation Sindoor, suggesting it was “just hypocrisy.”
However, he also stated that he had welcomed the inclusion of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at the press conference and saw their representation as a celebration of India’s diversity. He further pointed out that he had encouraged right-wing supporters to show the same enthusiasm for the rights of ordinary Indian Muslims who face persecution.
Ashoka University, in a brief statement, said it had been informed of Mahmudabad’s detention and was “in the process of ascertaining details of the case.” The university added that it would fully cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation.
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7 as a retaliatory strike following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 22 people, most of them tourists. Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh addressed the media alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during the operation’s official briefings.
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, born on December 2, 1982, has had an illustrious academic background, having studied at La Martiniere College in Lucknow before continuing his education in the UK, ultimately earning a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is also known for his past political involvement as a spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party between 2019 and 2022.
He is the son of Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, popularly known as Raja Sahib Mahmudabad, a prominent figure who fought a decades-long legal battle to reclaim family properties seized under the Enemy Properties Act.
The senior Mahmudabad was a two-time Congress MLA and a well-known political figure in Uttar Pradesh's Awadh region.
Mahmudabad's arrest has sparked debate over freedom of expression, civil rights, and the limits of political critique during times of heightened national security.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajeet Singh Rai confirmed the arrest to news agency PTI.
The arrest follows a notice issued by the Haryana State Commission for Women, which took suo motu cognisance of Mahmudabad’s comments. The Commission alleged that his remarks not only disrespected women officers in the Indian armed forces but also stirred communal disharmony.
In response, Mahmudabad denied the allegations, calling the interpretation of his remarks misguided.
“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. The Women's Commission is a body that serves an important function; however, the summons issued to me fail to highlight how my post is contrary to the rights of or laws for women,” he said in a statement on X.
In his now-controversial social media posts, Mahmudabad had questioned what he called the “optics” of having women officers lead media briefings on Operation Sindoor, suggesting it was “just hypocrisy.”
However, he also stated that he had welcomed the inclusion of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at the press conference and saw their representation as a celebration of India’s diversity. He further pointed out that he had encouraged right-wing supporters to show the same enthusiasm for the rights of ordinary Indian Muslims who face persecution.
Ashoka University, in a brief statement, said it had been informed of Mahmudabad’s detention and was “in the process of ascertaining details of the case.” The university added that it would fully cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation.
Operation Sindoor was launched in the early hours of May 7 as a retaliatory strike following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 22 people, most of them tourists. Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh addressed the media alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during the operation’s official briefings.
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, born on December 2, 1982, has had an illustrious academic background, having studied at La Martiniere College in Lucknow before continuing his education in the UK, ultimately earning a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is also known for his past political involvement as a spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party between 2019 and 2022.
He is the son of Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, popularly known as Raja Sahib Mahmudabad, a prominent figure who fought a decades-long legal battle to reclaim family properties seized under the Enemy Properties Act.
The senior Mahmudabad was a two-time Congress MLA and a well-known political figure in Uttar Pradesh's Awadh region.
Mahmudabad's arrest has sparked debate over freedom of expression, civil rights, and the limits of political critique during times of heightened national security.
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