CHANDIGARH: Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who heads the political science department at Ashoka University in Sonipat, did not appear before the Haryana State Commission for Women on Wednesday after being summoned for his remarks on Operation Sindoor. He cited delayed intimation as the reason for his absence.
The commission, in a notice issued on May 12, took suo motu cognisance of Mahmudabad’s comments made "on or about May 7" on social media, which it said were "disparaging women in the armed forces and promoting communal disharmony". He was summoned to appear before the commission in person.
Chairperson of the commission, Renu Bhatia, confirmed that Mahmudabad had not turned up. “We had summoned him to appear today. We waited for the whole day, but he did not turn up. We received an email in which he stated that he was intimated late and therefore cannot come today,” Bhatia said.
She added, “We salute the country's daughters Col. Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. But the kind of words which a professor, who teaches political science to students, has used for them, I expected that he would at least present himself before the Commission today and express regret.”
Ashoka University distanced itself from Mahmudabad’s comments, stating that his views were made in a personal capacity. “The comments made by a faculty member on his personal social media pages do not represent the opinion of the university. These statements have been made by him independently in his individual capacity,” the university said in a statement.
“Ashoka University and all members of the Ashoka community are proud of India’s armed forces and support them, unequivocally, in their actions towards maintaining national security. We stand in solidarity with the nation and our forces,” it added.
The Commission’s notice annexed Mahmudabad’s remarks, one of which read: right-wing people applauding Col. Sophia Qureshi should also demand protection for victims of mob lynchings and “arbitrary” bulldozing of properties.
He also described the media briefings by Col. Qureshi and Wing Commander Singh as optics. “But optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it's just hypocrisy,” he said.
The Commission noted that an initial review of the comments raised concerns about “disparagement of women in uniform, including Col. Sophia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, and undermining their role as professional officers in the Indian Armed Forces.”
It further stated that the remarks misrepresented facts, made repeated references to “genocide”, “dehumanisation”, and “hypocrisy”, and attributed malicious communal intent to the government and armed forces. The panel also flagged the remarks as potentially inciting communal unrest and disturbing internal peace.
The Commission viewed the comments as vilifying military actions, particularly the role of women officers in response to cross-border terrorism, and stated that they could threaten communal harmony and national integrity.
The notice also said that Mahmudabad’s remarks breached ethical conduct expected of university faculty under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2018.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh had briefed the media last week alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Col. Sophia Qureshi on Operation Sindoor.