New Delhi : The DTF unequivocally condemns the arrest of Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, Associate Professor at Ashoka University, under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for alleged “acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.” This action represents a blatant misuse of legal provisions to criminalise dissent and stifle academic freedom.
Dr. Mahmudabad’s social media posts, which critique jingoism and underscore the human cost of war, fall squarely within the realm of legally protected speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. His remarks, including concerns about communal polarisation and the imperative to safeguard marginalised communities, reflect a commitment to constitutional values. To conflate such critiques with “sedition” or threats to sovereignty is not only legally untenable but also undermines the very foundations of constitutional democracy.
The charges, initiated on the complaint of a BJP functionary, appear to be politically motivated, involving an attempt to misuse laws to silence voices that challenge majoritarian narratives of the ruling dispensation. Equally troubling are the baseless accusations by the Haryana Women’s Commission, which seems to deliberately misrepresent Dr. Mahmudabad’s nuanced commentary that seeks to locate the role of women officers within the larger context of the current political conjuncture as “disparagement.” His posts explicitly lauded the armed forces’ professionalism while urging vigilance in protecting the socially oppressed from state-sanctioned, communally motivated persecution.
This custody sets a dangerous precedent, signalling that critique of government policies—no matter how well-reasoned—may be met with punitive government action. It erodes the space for critical pedagogy and dissent, essential pillars of democracy and the rule of law. All this has happened when functionaries and supporters of the ruling dispensation have been given free rein to engage in a wide-ranging illegal campaign of hate speech and communal attacks on civil servants and armed forces personnel as part of their divisive political agenda.
The DTF calls for Dr. Mahmudabad’s immediate release and the withdrawal of all charges on him which are legally baseless in their entirety. We urge academic communities and the wider democratic movement to resist this assault on freedom through constitutional means.
Statement by National Women’s Organisations
We, the undersigned women’s organisations, strongly condemn the arrest of Ali Khan Mahmudabad, Associate Professor at Ashoka University, in connection with his social media posts in the background of Operation Sindoor. This unwarranted action was strangely preceded by the summons served on him by the Haryana State Women’s Commission on 12 May 2025, after which an FIR was registered against him by the Sonipat police station.
The notice accused his posts of ‘malicious intent’ and accused him for ‘violating the dignity and outraging the modesty of women.’ Further, the media reports that the FIR against him has pressed charges of ‘sedition.’!
We consider this Notice and the subsequent arrest as a deliberate attempt to harass an academic who has supported the need for maintaining peace and communal harmony. The social media posts for which he has been targeted explicitly applaud the sacrifices of the armed forces and praised the efforts of the government in holding the Pakistan accountable for cross border terrorism. Dr Mahmudabad uses the example of the press conference led by Col Sofia Qureshi and Wing Cdr Vyomika Singh, to celebrate national unity and to highlight the urgency of fighting communal targeting and polarization.
We consider the arrest of Dr Mahmudabad as an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. We consider it one more instance of the misuse of police and statutory institutions like the State Women’s Commission by the BJP-led government to target intellectuals and activists especially from a specific religious community. The same Haryana SWC remains silent on growing atrocities on women in Haryana.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ali Khan Mahmudabad, and the withdrawal of the FIR and HSWC summons against him.
