KEY POINTS
- India faces backlash for an increasing crackdown on dissent
- Ashoka University professor arrested for questioning government
- Critics have been silenced through deportations and citizenship revocations
- Rights groups warn of India’s democratic erosion
ISLAMABAD: The Indian government is facing a storm of criticism over what observers describe as a “sweeping crackdown” against dissent and civil freedoms, triggered by a wave of arrests targeting vloggers, journalists, academics, traders, and ordinary citizens who dared to challenge New Delhi’s military tactics and its tightly controlled media narrative following a recent cross-border clash with Pakistan.
Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor of Political Science at Ashoka University, one of India’s most prominent liberal arts institutions, was arrested on Sunday in New Delhi under multiple charges, including incitement of armed rebellion and promoting communal disharmony.
His detention came more than a week after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire that ended several days of deadly cross-border missile and drone strikes.
Media optics vs. ground reality
Mahmudabad’s arrest was prompted by a Facebook post in which he questioned the government’s use of media optics during Operation Sindoor, the Indian military’s offensive in Pakistan launched on May 6.
While acknowledging the significance of two women officers—Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh—leading the media briefings, Mahmudabad warned that symbolic representation must be matched with real action, especially when communities face targeted violence and bulldozing of homes without due process.
“The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings is important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it’s just hypocrisy,” he wrote.
The Haryana State Commission for Women reacted harshly, accusing Mahmudabad of disrespecting women in uniform and inciting communal tension.
His comments, though, focused not on gender but on the need for accountability and protection of minority communities—particularly Muslims—who have increasingly been targeted under the Modi government’s watch.
Mahmudabad has defended his post, stating it was “about safeguarding the lives of both citizens and soldiers” and not misogynistic or anti-national.
His supporters—including over 1,200 academics and civil society figures—have denounced the arrest as part of a broader assault on free expression and democratic values.
Pattern of silencing
This episode is part of a larger pattern of state repression under the Modi administration, critics say. In recent months, the government has cancelled the OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) status of UK-based academic Nitasha Kaul, citing “anti-India activities.”
Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit and political science professor at the University of Westminster, was deported from Bengaluru in 2024 despite being invited by a state government for a democratic convention.
Her criticism of the ruling BJP and the Hindu nationalist RSS was reportedly the basis for her deportation and OCI revocation.
“I was denied entry to India for speaking on democratic & constitutional values,” Kaul said. “All my documents were valid. This is censorship by stealth.”
At the same time, allegations of espionage and “anti-national activities” are increasingly being used to detain individuals, including travel bloggers and social media influencers.
Jyoti Rani, a travel vlogger from Hisar, and Shehzad, a trader from Uttar Pradesh, are among several individuals recently arrested under charges ranging from spying for Pakistan’s ISI to violating India’s Official Secrets Act.
Critics argue that these arrests serve as a convenient tool to divert attention from domestic issues while promoting a narrative of perpetual external threat.
Bulldozer justice and fear politics
Human rights watchdogs have sounded the alarm on what they describe as the weaponisation of state institutions to silence critique.
Amnesty International has condemned the Indian government’s use of “bulldozer justice” to demolish Muslim-owned properties and accused it of fostering a climate of fear through arbitrary arrests and demolitions.
“These are not isolated incidents,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary-General. “The authorities are weaponising the rule of law, destroying homes and stifling voices that dare to speak out against injustice.”
Defying court orders
Even as India’s Supreme Court has ordered a halt to the extrajudicial demolitions, reports suggest that local authorities continue to act with impunity, often under political pressure from the ruling BJP and affiliated right-wing groups.
Observers see these actions as part of a dangerous authoritarian drift. The Modi government has been accused of eroding democratic institutions, clamping down on academic freedom, and turning India’s once-vibrant media into a mouthpiece for government propaganda.
Suppressing dissent
Meanwhile, India’s relations with Pakistan remain volatile despite the May 10 ceasefire. The brief but deadly conflict—India claims 15 of its citizens were killed, while Pakistan reported 31 deaths—has been accompanied by a nationalistic fervour that leaves little room for dissent.
As universities, media houses, and social media platforms come under increasing scrutiny, civil society voices are warning that the very idea of democratic debate in India is under siege.
“In a democracy, patriotism cannot be defined as blind obedience,” said a signatory of the open letter in support of Mahmudabad. “To love one’s country is to hold it to its highest ideals—not to imprison those who dare to do so.”
Rising intimidation and shrinking freedoms
The Modi government has yet to officially respond to the criticism, but BJP officials have continued to paint dissenting voices as “anti-national” or “sympathisers of Pakistan.”
For now, the space for criticism in the world’s largest democracy continues to shrink, with professors, journalists, businessmen and ordinary citizens caught in the crosshairs of a growing culture of censorship and intimidation.
