‘This is censorship, harassment’: Ashoka University professor on Haryana women's panel summons

Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad stated that his comments on Operation Sindoor and women officers were not misogynistic or anti-women.

Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad on Wednesday responded to a summons by the Haryana State Women's Commission and stated that his social media posts on Operation Sindoor and the women officers involved were not misogynistic and that he was being censored.

Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad responded to claims that his comments on Operation Sindoor were misogynistic (Ali Khan Mahmudabad/X)

In a statement released on X, the professor stated, "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."

Mahmudabad stated that he had appreciated that Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh had been chosen for the press conference to represent India's diversity.

“I even applauded members of the right wing who supported Colonel Qureshi and invited them to have the same attitude for common Indian Muslims who face demonisation and persecution on a daily basis. 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.

Further, the professor stated that he had publicly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and praised the Indian armed forces for the care taken to avoid targeting military of civilian infrastructure to avoid unnecessary escalation.

He stated, “Animated by a profound moral commitment to minimising the human cost of armed conflict, my statements solely express concern over the rhetorical excesses and reckless warmongering exhibited by certain sections of the civilian public.”

Additionally he said, “I am surprised that the Women's Commission, while overreaching its jurisdiction, has misread and misunderstood my posts to such an extent that they have inverted their meaning. This is a new form of censorship and harassment, which invents issues where there are none”

Mahmudabad also stated that the claims being made about him were defamatory and he reserved the right to take legal action in the matter.

What did Ali Khan Mahmudabad say?

Mahmudabad had described the media briefing on ‘Operation Sindoor’ by women officers as “optics” and “just hypocrisy”. The Haryana State Commission has interpreted his remarks as “an attempt to vilify national military actions”.

In a post on Facebook, which has been attached with the notice by the commission, Mahmudabad had written, “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.”