Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad Arrested Over Operation Sindoor Social Media Post
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Ashoka University in Sonipat, Haryana, was arrested on May 18th. The arrest stemmed from a social media post he made about Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam terrorist attacks.
Royal Ties and a Political Background
Mahmudabad is a figure of considerable prominence. He hails from the influential Mahmudabad royal family and is a renowned writer, poet, political scientist, and historian. His father, Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, was a two-time Congress MLA from Mahmudabad and a well-known figure in Uttar Pradesh’s Awadh region.
His grandfather, Mohammad Amir Ahmad Khan, was the last ruling Raja of Mahmudabad and a key backer of the Muslim League before India’s independence. Mahmudabad’s mother, Rani Vijay, is the daughter of former Foreign Secretary Jagat Singh Mehta. He is married to the daughter of Haseeb Drabu, who served as Jammu and Kashmir’s Finance Minister.
Education and Academic Pursuits
Mahmudabad received his education at La Martiniere in Lucknow and later studied in the UK at King’s College School and Winchester College. He earned his MPhil and PhD in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge and also studied Arabic at the University of Damascus in Syria. He has a rich background in travel and reporting, having covered the Middle East extensively and written for publications like National Geographic.
At Ashoka University, his academic focus centered on the evolution of Muslim political identity in North India between 1850 and 1950. His doctoral thesis explored themes like public poetry gatherings (mush‘irah), homeland (watan), citizenship, and Muslim selfhood. In 2020, he published the book ‘Poetry of Belonging: Muslim Imaginings of India 1850–1950’. His scholarly work also encompasses writings on Sufis, Shias, and the cultural history of Awadh and Lucknow.
Brief Political Venture
Mahmudabad briefly ventured into politics, joining the Samajwadi Party in 2018. He served as its national spokesperson from 2019 to 2022, a position he held despite no longer holding an official party role since 2022. Although he was once considered close to party president Akhilesh Yadav, he stepped back from active political involvement.
Delhi Police Arrest and Complaint
Mahmudabad’s arrest came after a complaint was filed against him by a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha with the Delhi Police. The Haryana State Commission for Women also issued a notice to him regarding his remarks.
