BS EDIT: Freedom on Trial

By Business StandardPublished On May 20, 2025

Arrest Over a Facebook Post

Ashoka University’s Prof Mahmudabad was arrested for posts on Operation Sindoor

Charges include promoting hatred and even culpable homicide

Misreading the Message

His posts praised India's strategic messaging and female-led briefings

No criticism, no incitement — just analysis

The Real Trigger?

He questioned why lynching victims aren't defended with the same zeal as military heroes

A critique of hypocrisy — not an attack on the nation

Double Standards at Play

A minister called Colonel Qureshi a “terrorist’s sister” — no police action

Prof Mahmudabad is jailed for a reasoned post

What Free Speech Really Means

Criticism isn’t a crime

Unless it incites violence, it’s a constitutional right

The Damage Done

This arrest hurts India’s image of unity more than any post ever could

Free speech must be defended — not punished