E-Paper
Who is Renu Bhatia, woman behind the action against Ashoka University professor?
One of the complainants in the Ashoka University professor remark case, Bhatia, first summoned Mahmudabad over his controversial social media post.
Renu Bhatia, the Haryana State Women’s Commission chairperson, has played a central role in the arrest of Ali Khan Mahmudabad, the Ashoka University professor who stirred a row with a controversial post on the Operation Sindoor briefings.
One of the complainants in the Ashoka University professor remark case, Bhatia, first summoned Mahmudabad over his social media post on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Her complaint led to the professor's arrest and sparked a national debate.
Mahmudabad, the head of the political science department at Ashoka University, was arrested on Sunday by Haryana Police at his residence in Delhi. He was remanded to two days of police custody after two FIRs were registered against him, including charges related to endangering India's sovereignty and promoting communal disharmony.
Who is Renu Bhatia?
Born in Srinagar, Bhatia belongs to a Punjabi-Kashmiri family that went through the mayhem of Kashmir's insurgency years. A staunch BJP loyalist, Bhatiya has almost four decades of political experience.
She began her political career as a municipal councillor in Faridabad in the year 2000 and went on to become deputy mayor, her LinkedIn profile reads. Despite losing her 2010 election race, she continued to be a key name in Haryana politics.
Also Read | Civil society backs Ashoka University prof with Lko-Mahmudabad connect
Bhatia was appointed as the chairperson of the Haryana Women's Commission in January 2022. Her term until 2025 has been extended.
Her commission has pursued cases aggressively involving women's rights, such as a large sexual harassment investigation in Jind district that involved more than 100 girls, as per media reports.
Also Read | Supreme Court agrees to hear plea of Ashoka University professor against arrest
In 2023, the commission also lodged an FIR against O P Jindal Global University professor Sameena Dalwai on charges of "outraging the modesty" of women students.
Bhatia’s role in the Ashoka University professor's remark case
It was Bhatia’s suo motu action and subsequent complaint that triggered Mahmudabad’s arrest. The professor, also a Samajwadi Party spokesperson, had posted comments questioning the use of women officers in government briefings related to Operation Sindoor, implying political optics.
Also Read | What did arrested Ashoka University professor say about Operation Sindoor?
Speaking to the media, Bhatia said, "We visited the university to hold talks with the professor. I would have liked it if he had apologised, but he did not intend to do so. By not appearing before the commission, he proved that what he said was true. On the 15th, by not appearing or meeting us at his university, it was shocking."
