Haryana women's commission has misread and misunderstood my posts: Sonipat varsity professor

Sonipat (Haryana): The associate professor of a private university here, who was summoned by the Haryana State Commission for Women over his social media post on Operation Sindoor, on Thursday said the commission has "misread" his comment.

"...I am surprised that the Women's Commission, while overreaching its jurisdiction, has misread and misunderstood my posts to such an extent that they have inverted their meaning," said Ali Khan Mahmudabad, the head of political science department of Ashoka University in Sonipat, in a public statement posted on microblogging site X.

The Haryana State Commission for Women had sent a notice to Mahmudabad on May 12, saying that a prima facie review of his social media posts reveal various concerns which include "disparaging of women in uniform, including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Command Vyomika Singh, undermining their role as professional officers in the Indian Armed forces..".

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh had held media briefings along with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during Operation Sindoor, India's military action on Pakistan last week.

The women's commission's notice said that it has taken suo motu cognisance of the "public statements" made "on or about May 7" by Mahmudabad.

In one of his remarks annexed to the commission's notice, Mahmudabad says that right-wing people applauding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi should demand protection for victims of mob lynchings and "arbitrary" bulldozing of properties.

He also described the media briefings by Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as "optics". "But optics must translate to reality on the ground. Otherwise it's just hypocrisy," he had said. The commission had summoned Mahmudabad to appear before it on Wednesday.

However, the panel's chairperson Renu Bhatia on Wednesday said they have received an email from Mahmudabad stating that he was intimated late and therefore could not make a personal appearance.

Meanwhile, Mahmudabad said that his lawyers have submitted a detailed reply to the summons and represented him before the commission on Wednesday.

"The screenshots attached to the commission's notice make it clear that my remarks have been completely misunderstood and that the commission has no jurisdiction whatsoever in the matter. The women's commission is a body that serves an important function; however, the summons issued to me fail to highlight how my post is contrary to the rights of or laws for women," Mahmudabad said in his public statement.

"Contrary to the allegations, my post appreciated the fact that the armed forces chose Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh for the press conference to highlight the fact that the dream of the founders of our Republic, of an India which is united in its diversity, is still very much alive..."

"I even applauded members of the right wing who supported Colonel Qureshi and invited them to have the same attitude for common Indian Muslims who face demonisation and persecution on a daily basis. If anything, my entire comments were about safeguarding the lives of both citizens and soldiers. Furthermore there is nothing remotely misogynistic about my comments that could be construed as anti-women," he said in the statement.

Mahmudabad said he used his academic training and public voice to advocate for peace due to the high cost of war.

"At the same time, I have analysed and commented on the manner in which 'care has been taken by the Indian armed forces to not target military or civilian installations or infrastructure so that there is no unnecessary escalation'...

"This reflects a clear appreciation of the Indian military's measured and proportional approach and indeed I have condemned the use of terrorists by the Pakistani military to destabilise the region. In fact in my analysis I have shown that this puts 'the onus on the Pakistani military to make sure it cannot hide any longer behind terrorists and non-state actors'," the statement read.

It said he had further added that the Pakistan military has used these tactics "to destabilise the region for far too long".

"Animated by a profound moral commitment to minimising the human cost of armed conflict, my statements solely express concern over the rhetorical excesses and reckless warmongering exhibited by certain sections of the civilian public," he said in the statement.

Mahmudabad also said that his academic record, his public writings and policy work which at times have involved collaboration with senior bureaucrats, military officers, politicians and others from the Government of India "attest to the fact that I have also made it a priority to uphold the principles of our Constitution, safeguard the morality enshrined therein and protect the unity and integrity of India".

"All my public writings have always tried to uphold the principles of justice, liberty, fraternity and equality and have always sought to promote peace and communal harmony," he further stated.

About his posts, he said that he had exercised his "fundamental right to freedom of thought and speech in order to promote peace and harmony and to applaud the Indian armed forces for their resolute action, while criticising those who preach hatred and seek to destabilise India".