Renu Bhatia fails to pinpoint the objectionable parts in Prof Mahmudabad’s post, allegedly degrading women officials of the Indian Army
NEW DELHI – Social media platforms are awash with lavish praise for prominent India Today TV anchor, Preeti Choudhry, for grilling Renu Bhatia, chairperson of the Haryana State Women’s Commission, over her complaint against Prof Ali Akbar Mahmudabad of the Sonipat-based Ashoka University.
The complaint, spurred by an objection raised by an activist of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led to the arrest of the academic. However, the Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the professor interim bail, but it refused to stay a probe over his social media posts on Operation Sindoor.
During a TV debate on Prof Mahmudabad’s arrest and its repercussions, Renu Bhatia consistently sidestepped anchor Preeti Choudhry’s insistence on knowing the objectionable lines in Prof Mahmudabad’s post on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.
The commission official was all along evasive, even feigning some audio malfunction. But the anchor continued with her insistence on knowing the objectionable lines from the complaint provided by Renu Bhatia to the police that formed the basis of Prof Mahumdabad’s arrest. Despite cajoling, sometimes pleading, from the anchor, the commission official never came up with any convincing response.
Commenting on the hearing in the Prof Mahmudabad case in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Preeti Choudhry said the prosecutor also claim that he did not have a copy of the statement seemed derogatory to the Indian army women officials.
“While the Supreme Court grants interim bail to Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad – Court asks- where is the statement in which he is making an attempt to insult women officers? ASG claimed he doesn’t have a copy of the petition – matter adjourned.”
Noted journalist Sarvapriya Sangwan wondered how the welfare of women has been entrusted in the hands of Renu Bhatia as the state women’s commission chief.
Another journalist, Rohini Singh, also showered praise on anchor Preeti Choudhry. In her post, she said it was worrying that “such ignorant people are heading important commissions.” She described the Ashoka University faculty member as a fabulous professor.
Her post read: “This interview of @RenuWBhatia1, on whose complaint a fabulous professor has been jailed, is a MUST watch. It is very worrying that such ignorant people are heading important commissions. Kudos @PreetiChoudhry for asking the right questions.”
Bhatia is a staunch BJP loyalist and has almost four decades of political experience. She began her political career as a municipal councillor in Faridabad in the year 2000 and went on to become deputy mayor, her LinkedIn profile reads. Despite losing her 2010 election race, she continues to be a key name in Haryana politics.
