Statement from the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) Condemning the Arrest of Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad
The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) strongly condemns the arrest of Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad on fabricated charges over a Facebook post.
Prof. Mahmudabad, a faculty member in Ashoka University’s Department of Political Science, was summoned by the Haryana Women’s Commission, and an FIR was filed against him, leading to his arrest—for a thoughtful and peaceful social media post. In that post, he welcomed the presence of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh at the Army press briefing and praised it as a sign of progress. He raised a critical point: while many right-wing commentators applauded Col. Qureshi’s inclusion, why is there silence on the everyday injustices faced by Muslims—mob lynchings, bulldozer demolitions, and systemic discrimination?
The charges against Prof. Mahmudabad represent a broader assault on dissent and freedom of expression. How does such a statement—grounded in a plea for consistency and equal rights—threaten communal harmony? AIPWA firmly believes that no disrespectful remark was made against the women Army officers in his post.
The political bias of the Haryana Women’s Commission is evident in its selective silence on the sexual exploitation and harassment of women wrestlers by BJP MPs, as well as the violence and discrimination faced by Muslim women. Yet, it acts swiftly on false allegations in this case. Such selective action has reduced the Commission to a mere mockery.
In contrast, BJP’s Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah publicly made hateful, communal, and misogynistic remarks against Col. Qureshi. Although the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the police to register an FIR against him, he has not been arrested to date. Neither the BJP nor any Women’s Commission has held him accountable. The shameful silence of the State Women Commission, including the National Commission for Women, exposes the hypocrisy under BJP rule and underscores the grim, unjust reality of our times—that Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad was arrested simply because he is a Muslim, highlighting a deeply troubling double standard.
While hate-mongers like Vijay Shah roam free, those who call for justice and peace are targeted in Modi’s India. This blatant double standard reveals a dangerous pattern: hate speech by those in power is ignored, while principled criticism and calls for justice by scholars and activists are criminalised.
We demand:
The immediate and unconditional release of Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
Vijay Shah must resign from his ministerial post, and the BJP should expel him from the party and issue a public apology for his derogatory remarks against Colonel Qureshi.
An end to the criminalisation of dissent, and protection of academic freedom, freedom of speech, the right to dissent, and equal citizenship.
We stand with Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
Rati Rao Meena Tiwari
President General Secretary
— All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)
