Ashoka Prof Ali Khan’s Arrest Sparks Outcry: Congress Slams BJP Intolerance

Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, has received support from over 1,000 signatories who endorsed a letter backing him following his arrest on Sunday for social media posts about India’s military strikes on May 7.

Khan was arrested under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges of inciting secession and insulting religious beliefs, following a complaint filed by a Haryana leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing, the Yuva Morcha.

The letter supporting Khan stated, “It is preposterous that in India today, even praising the army, while criticising those who clamour for war, can lead to targeted harassment and attempted censorship.” Among the signatories are veteran historians Romila Thapar and Ramachandra Guha, along with scholars Jayati Ghosh, Nivedita Menon, and Ram Puniyani.

The letter highlighted that in his Facebook posts, Khan “analysed how the distinction between terrorists or non-state actors and the Pakistani military has effectively collapsed,” while the selection of women officers for India’s media briefings served as “proof that the secular vision of the founders of our Republic is still alive.”

“Far from being misogynist or anti-national, Prof Khan’s posts are driven by a clear moral vision of what being a good citizen means and are the words of a true patriot who is concerned with the lives of both soldiers and citizens,” says the letter.

Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, associate professor and head of the Department of Political Science at Ashoka University (Haryana, India), has recently been unfairly targeted by the Haryana State Women’s Commission over his social media posts related to the recent India-Pakistan hostilities. Following the summons, many media outlets have regrettably distorted and misquoted his statements, damaging his reputation and spreading misinformation.

The Commission has clearly, and seemingly deliberately, misinterpreted his posts, accusing him of “vilifying” India’s army, “violating dignity and outraging women’s modesty, disparaging women in uniform, attributing malicious communal intent to the Government of India and Indian Armed Forces, as well as inciting communal distress and attempting to disturb internal peace.”

A straightforward reading of Prof. Khan’s original posts reveals that he praised the strategic restraint of the armed forces, analyzed how the distinction between terrorists or non-state actors and the Pakistani military has effectively collapsed, and highlighted that the presence of women officers in media debriefs is “important” evidence that the secular vision of the founders of our Republic remains alive.

Prof. Khan praised the Indian right wing for supporting Colonel Sofia Qureshi while urging them to oppose mob lynching and bulldozing of Muslims. Emphasising peace, he highlighted the disproportionate suffering of the poor during conflict. Far from misogynist or anti-national, his posts reflect a moral vision of good citizenship and true patriotism, showing deep concern for soldiers and civilians alike.

Congress Raises Alarm Over Arrest of Professor Ali Khan

On Monday, the Congress condemned the arrest of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, stating it reflects the BJP's fear of dissenting opinions.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that his party condemns all forms of character assassination, vilification, trolling, harassment, unlawful arrests, and vandalism of businesses, whether carried out by fringe elements or official channels.

"The arrest of Ashoka University professor, Ali Khan Mahmudabad, shows how fearful the BJP is of any opinion, disliked by them," he said in a post on X.

Kharge stated that the arrest is part of a chain reaction that started with targeting the grieving widow of a martyred naval officer, the Foreign Secretary and his daughter, and the deplorable remarks made by a BJP minister about a serving Colonel.

"Instead of sacking their own Madhya Pradesh's Deputy CM & Minister, who made disgusting statements against our valiant Armed Forces, BJP-RSS is hellbent in casting a narrative that anybody who represents Pluralism, questions the government or simply performs his professional duty in the service of the nation, is a threat to its existence," he noted.

Kharge emphasized that supporting the armed forces and the government in the national interest does not preclude questioning the government.

"National Unity is supreme for the Congress party, BJP should be under no impression that it can foster Dictatorship under the garb of the present developments. Democracy should stand tall," the Congress chief said.

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