HARYANA: Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad of Ashoka University was arrested on Saturday in Haryana’s Rai area after a complaint was made by Yogesh Jatheri, General Secretary of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha in the state. The arrest is in relation to Mahmudabad’s comments on social media regarding press briefings on Operation Sindoor, a recent national security initiative.
In a police statement, the professor has been charged under multiple sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), India's new penal code, for allegedly promoting communal disharmony; to incite rebellion or secession; and for outraging religious feelings.
The case was registered on Saturday, with Mahmudabad's arrest confirmed later by his lawyer to the media outlet Scroll. The posts which were deemed inflammatory by authorities claimed that the government's communication surrounding Operation Sindoor was disruptive to public harmony.
Police have said that an investigation is ongoing and digital evidence is being examined. The arrest has stirred a debate on academic freedom, freedom of expression, and whether or not social media comment on politically sensitive subject matters handles normalization.
Ashoka University has yet to issue an official statement. Meanwhile, legal and civil rights groups have called for due process and transparency in academic-related cases with public interest.
[Source Credit: Financial Express]
