Two contrasting stories reflect the grim reality of the times we live in.
First, we have the case of a scholar and professor at the prestigious Ashoka University — Ali Khan Mahmudabad — who was arrested by the Haryana Police for remarks he posted on social media. The FIR alleges that the remarks “disparaged women officers in the Indian Armed Forces and promoted communal disharmony.”
According to Sonipat DCP (Crime) Narinder Kadian, Ali was arrested in Delhi based on two FIRs lodged on complaints received from Haryana State Commission for Women Chairperson Renu Bhatia and Jatheri village sarpanch Yogesh Jatheri, who is also the General Secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha in Haryana.
Ali Khan Mahmudabad is a political scientist who is an associate professor at Ashoka University and also heads the Department of Political Science. He studied at King’s College School and Winchester College, from where he graduated, and completed his PhD from the prestigious University of Cambridge.
From 2018 to 2022, he was active in politics and served as a spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party. Since then, he has stayed away from politics and focused on his academic work.
Mahmudabad’s arrest followed a notice issued by the Haryana State Commission for Women on May 12, which took suo motu cognisance of his comments. In these, he called the optics of the media briefing on Operation Sindoor by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh important, but said it would be “hypocrisy” if it did not translate into reality on the ground. The commission interpreted his remarks as “an attempt to vilify national military actions.”
He is reported to be arrested for his Facebook post which is neither unpatriotic, nor objectionable. The full text:
May 8, 2025
“ Strategically India has actually begun a new phase in terms of collapsing distinction between military and terrorist (non-state actors) in Pakistan. In effect, the response to any terrorist activity will invite a conventional response and so this puts the onus on the Pakistani military to make sure that it cannot hide any longer behind terrorists and non-state actors.
In any case the Pakistan military has used militarised non-state actors to destabilise the region for far too long while also claiming to be victims on the international stage. It has also used the same actors – some of whom were targeted in the recent strikes – to foment sectarian tension in Pakistan.
Operation Sindoor resets all received notions of Indo-Pak relationships as the response to terrorist attacks will be met with a military response and removes any semantic distinction between the two.
Despite this collapse, care has been taken by the Indian armed forces to not target military or civilian installations or infrastructure so that there is no unnecessary escalation. The message is clear: if you don’t deal with your terrorism problem then we will! The loss of civilian life is tragic on both sides and is the main reason why war should be avoided.
There are those who are mindlessly advocating for a war but they have never seen one, let alone lived in or visited a conflict zone. Being part of a mock civil defence drill does not make you a solider and neither will you ever know the pain of someone who suffers losses because of conflict.
War is brutal. The poor suffer disproportionately and the only people who benefit are politicians and defence companies. While war is inevitable because politics is primarily rooted in violence – at least human history teaches us this –we have to realise that political conflicts have never been solved militarily.
Lastly, 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. The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings is important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it’s just hypocrisy.
When a prominent Muslim politicians said “Pakistan Murdabad” and was trolled by Pakistanis for doing so – Indian right wing commentators defended him by saying “he is our mulla.” Of course this is funny but it also points to just how deep communalism has managed to infect the Indian body politic.
For me, the press conference was just a fleeting glimpse – an illusion and allusion perhaps – to an India that defied the logic on which Pakistan was built. As I said, the grassroots reality that common Muslims face is different from what the government tried to show but at the same time the press conference shows that an India, united in its diversity, is not completely dead as an idea.
Jai Hind”
Any logical person would find it impossible to interpret these remarks as claimed in the FIR — but that’s the sad reality we are living in.
The Second Story
The second story is that of a shocking and clearly sexist and communal statement made by a BJP MLA who is also a minister in Madhya Pradesh.
A controversy erupted after Vijay Shah made a vile comment during a public event in a rural area of Indore district last week, clearly targeting Colonel Sofiya Qureishi without naming her.
“They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sisters of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson,” PTI quoted the BJP leader as saying in a gathering.
The video of the speech is available online and it clearly shows who he is targeting and what he is implying.
Till now, no concrete action has been taken. Only after the video went viral, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the police to register an FIR against Shah under sections related to promoting enmity and hatred.
An FIR was registered in Indore district on May 14. However, no arrest has taken place so far. Shah has challenged the FIR in the Supreme Court, which heard his plea on May 19, 2025. The court had earlier reprimanded him, stating that ministers must exercise restraint in their statements.
In the latest hearing, the Supreme Court directed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising three senior IPS officers — none of whom should belong to the State of Madhya Pradesh — must investigate the FIR filed against BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah for his remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
This is not the first time Vijay Shah has been embroiled in controversy. In April 2013, he made crass remarks about then-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s wife while addressing a public function in Jhabua district. The comments created a political storm and cost him his ministerial post.
In November 2020, while serving as Forest Minister, Shah triggered another controversy when he allegedly invited actor Vidya Balan for dinner during the shooting of the film Sherni in Balaghat district. According to media reports, vehicles of the production team were blocked from entering a forest area after the actress declined the dinner invitation. Shah had rubbished the claims at the time.
Even though Shah’s latest remarks have sparked a political storm and opposition parties are demanding his resignation, no arrest, no concrete action has been taken so far. This only points to the grim and unjust reality of our times.
The two stories and the contradictory response of the government - swiftly arresting a distinguished professor for remarks that are neither sexist, nor disparaging of the Indian army, while turning a blind eye to the communal remarks of a BJP legislator highlight the hypocrisy of the BJP regime.
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