After teachers at Ashoka University in Sonepat, its students have also described the arrest of Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad not only the academic freedom but also the ‘gross violation of the principles’, which they taught and stood for.
The students also demanded immediate release, calling the arrest of Mahmudabad as ‘wrong’.
Haryana Police on Sunday arrested Mahmudabad, head of the political science department of Ashoka University. Two FIRs were lodged against him and alleged that his social media post on Operation Sindoor threatens the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
An FIR was lodged at Rai police station in Sonipat district. One of them was lodged on the complaint of Renu Bhatia, chairman of Haryana State Women’s Commission and on the complaint of one village sarpanch.
The Faculty Association of the university condemned the arrest of Mahmudabad in a statement on Sunday and demanded his immediate release.
In support of Mahmudabad, the university students said in a statement on Monday, “We are strongly and solidarily with his professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad,” we ‘Bainish the Poits’ course.
He said, “Throughout the syllabus, Professor Khan gave a lecture on love, emphasizing secular values like persistent logic, compassion, justice and freedom of thought, which is the foundation of meaningful dialogue.”
The students said, “Their arrest is not only a violation of academic freedom, but also a violation of the principles that he taught us and for whom he stood.”
The students said that Mahmudabad emphasized the power of the word written and encouraged them to speak.
He said in the statement, “He never taught us to express disrespect towards our country and its constitution.”
Describing Mahmudabad as “the principle educationist, a magnificent speaker, a compassionate guide and brave educationist”, the students said, “We are very lucky which we got to learn from them.”
Congress, CPI (M), AIMIM and Trinamool Congress have also condemned police action against Mahmudabad.
