Ashoka University Professor Sent to 14-Day Judicial Custody Over Operation Sindoor Social Media Post
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University and head of its political science department, was sent to 14-day judicial custody on Monday over a social media post critical of the Indian military’s Operation Sindoor. The post allegedly disrespected women officers leading media briefings, sparking a political and legal firestorm.
The arrest took place on Sunday in Sonepat, Haryana, following a complaint filed by Yogesh Jatheri, general secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha. A separate FIR was also lodged by the Haryana State Commission for Women.
While Haryana Police sought a seven-day remand to interrogate Mahmudabad, a local court remanded him to judicial custody instead, delaying further police interrogation.
The controversy stems from a social media post where Mahmudabad described the media briefings on Operation Sindoor by Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as “optics” and “hypocrisy.”
He argued that praising women officers in the military should go hand-in-hand with advocating for broader justice and human rights within the country.
“The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings are important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it’s just hypocrisy,” read an excerpt from the now-deleted post.
Mahmudabad, who had a brief political stint with the Samajwadi Party in 2017, claimed his statements were misinterpreted and insisted he was exercising his constitutional right to free speech.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups and academics, who view the move as a clampdown on freedom of expression in academic and public spaces.
However, BJP leaders and women’s groups backed the police action, saying Mahmudabad’s comments were “insensitive” and “disrespectful” to the uniformed officers leading the Operation Sindoor briefings.
Ashoka University has yet to issue an official statement, but internal sources suggest that the institution is reviewing the situation and will respond after consulting legal experts.
The case has polarized public opinion online. While several users and academic voices condemned the arrest as “authoritarian”, others defended it as necessary to preserve national morale during wartime operations.
Operation Sindoor is India’s recent military offensive launched in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, which left multiple Indian security personnel dead. The government has since launched a large-scale diplomatic and media outreach to counter international narratives.
Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh have been the public face of Operation Sindoor, delivering detailed briefings that have drawn widespread attention for highlighting women’s leadership in defense.
