‘Veiled misogyny’: V-Cs, academics object to Ashoka prof’s comments, write to SC

Among the salient signatories are JNU Vice Chancellor Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Gujarat University V-C Dr Neerja Gupta, Central University of Rajasthan V-C Prof Anand Bhalerao, University of Ladakh V-C Prof Saket Kushwaha, and Central University of Punjab VC Prof R P Tiwari.

Officials astatine JNU confirmed to The Indian Express that V-C Pandit had endorsed the statement.

The connection describes Mahmudabad’s observations arsenic “veiled misogyny cloaked successful pseudo-academic inquiry” and peculiarly objects to his comment on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi’s beingness astatine the post-operation property briefing.

“By framing her beingness arsenic performative oregon tokenistic, [he] attempts to delegitimize her role… This is regressive, gender-disempowering, and contrary to some ineligible norms and societal progress,” it reads.

It goes connected to state: “The subtext of his rhetoric operates connected a reductionist logic that casts women — notably those successful uniformed work — not arsenic autonomous agents of State action, but arsenic symbolic instruments co-opted to legitimize purportedly communal agendas… Such speech, successful the existent context, not lone impugns the integrity of nationalist institutions but besides fosters cynicism regarding the genuine and commendable contributions of individuals specified arsenic Colonel Qureshi.”

Gujarat University V-C Dr Gupta, who is 1 of the signatories, told The Indian Express, “A teacher is an instauration successful himself. Whatever helium says publically should beryllium said precise cautiously due to the fact that it goes heavy down into the psyche of the student. I travel from a household with a defence inheritance and I deliberation it is the work of a teacher to recognize this — they should not marque specified comments, particularly erstwhile the federation is going done a pugnacious time.”

A wide conjugation of academics, students and teacher organisations, meanwhile, has rallied down Mahmudabad, condemning what they telephone a “state-led crackdown connected world freedom”.

At a property briefing held Tuesday astatine the Press Club of India, members of the Joint Teachers’ Organisations denounced his apprehension by the Haryana Police.

Surajit Mazumdar from the JNU Teachers’ Association said, “The actions against Dr. Khan correspond not conscionable an onslaught connected his state of look but connected the close of the nationalist astatine ample to prosecute successful informed treatment and statement arsenic a means of learning and taking the federation to heights.”

Anita Rampal, erstwhile Dean astatine Delhi University, emphasised that Mahmudabad’s classrooms “fostered an ecosystem of trust, respect, and love”, and demanded that each charges against him beryllium dropped.

Student national leaders including Insha, president of Ashoka University’s pupil body, and Nitish Kumar, president of JNUSU, spoke successful Prof Khan’s support.