Speakers at a press conference accuse Haryana Police of a blatant misuse of legal provisions aimed at criminalising dissent
NEW DELHI – A coalition of teachers’ organisations, including AIPC, AIPSN, CTF, DTF, DTI, IAFN, INTEC, RSM, and SSM, has strongly condemned the arrest of Prof (Dr) Ali Khan Mahmudabad by the Haryana Police, calling it a blatant misuse of legal provisions aimed at criminalising dissent and suppressing academic freedom.
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Press Club of India here on Tuesday, representatives from various teachers’ bodies and academic institutions denounced the charges, based on a complaint by a BJP functionary, as politically motivated. They alleged that the legal action is part of a broader pattern to silence critical voices that challenge the majoritarian narratives upheld by the ruling regime.
Equally alarming, they said, were the unfounded allegations by the Haryana Women’s Commission, which misrepresented Prof Mahmudabad’s nuanced analysis of the role of women officers in current political conditions as “disparagement.”
Dr Uma Raag of DTI opened the event by naming numerous scholars, students, and intellectuals who have been similarly targeted by state agencies in recent years, many of whom remain imprisoned without trial. She called Prof Mahmudabad’s arrest “the latest entry in an expanding list of attacks on academic freedom.”
Surajit Mazumdar of the JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) stated, “The targeting of Dr Khan is not just an infringement on his personal freedom, but an attack on the right of society at large to engage in informed discourse essential for democratic progress.”
Echoing this sentiment, Anita Rampal highlighted testimonials from Prof Mahmudabad’s students, who emphasised the “trust, respect, and love” environment he fostered, calling for his immediate release and exoneration.
Dhiraj Nite, faculty at Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD), expressed unequivocal solidarity and demanded that the false charges be dropped forthwith.
Rajshree Chandra of IAFN remarked, “Just as courts must be free to pursue justice, universities must be free to pursue truth.” Former Delhi University professor Laxman Yadav further argued that the case against Prof Mahmudabad was rooted in religious discrimination. “This is an assault on Baba Saheb’s Constitution,” he said, noting Prof Mahmudabad’s lineage in a family that chose to stay in India post-Partition.
Several speakers emphasised that Prof Mahmudabad’s social media posts—critiquing militaristic nationalism and advocating for communal harmony—constitute protected speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Attempts to conflate such commentary with sedition or threats to national sovereignty, they said, are not only legally flawed but anti-constitutional.
Prof Manoj Jha, Rajya Sabha member, sent in a message of solidarity with Prof Mahmudabad and the protesting teaching community.
Insha, President Ashoka University Students Union, and Nitish Kumar, President of JNUSU, also addressed the press conference.
During the proceedings, the organisers were informed by members of the press that Prof Mahmudabad’s judicial custody has been extended.
Prof Mahmudabad was arrested by Haryana Police from his Delhi residence on 18 May, following a police complaint by a BJP Yuva Morcha leader. On 8 May, Mahmudabad wrote a Facebook post on Operation Sindoor, which attracted controversy and the ire of Haryana Women’s Commission chief, Renu Bhatia.
In his post, Prof Mahmudabad had lauded Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Indian Army officer present during the Operation Sindoor press briefings. He had also demanded attention to the different issues that Muslims in India are facing today.
Teacher organisations’ representatives said that they were determined to continue to protest against such unlawful abridging of democratic and political rights by the state, and would continue to resist the detention of Prof Mahmudabad.
