Chandigarh/Karnal, May 15 -- Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad skipped summons issued by Haryana State Commission for Women on Wednesday but submitted a reply through his lawyers, asserting his social media remarks about Operation Sindoor were "completely misunderstood" and the Commission lacks jurisdiction in the matter. Sonepat-based academic Ali Khan Mahmudabad was summoned to the commission's Panchkula office regarding social media posts that the state panel - headed by former Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Renu Bhatia - alleged was disparaging towards women officers in the armed forces and promoted communal disharmony. Commission chairperson Bhatia claimed they waited from 10am until 3pm before receiving an email from Mahmudabad stating he had received the notice too late to attend. "This is a mere excuse. Sonepat is hardly a two-hour drive away," Bhatia said, adding that the commission is exploring legal action. Mahmudabad denied the allegations that his posts were misogynistic. "The screenshots attached to the notice make it clear that my remarks have been completely misunderstood and that the commission has no jurisdiction whatsoever in the matter," he stated in a statement released on Wednesday. "The summons issued to me fail to highlight how my post is contrary to the rights of or laws for women." The state and national commissions for women are quasi-judicial bodies that have the powers to summon witnesses, request records, and generally act with the powers of a civil court. However, they lack the legal authority to impose fines or punishments. Mahmudabad clarified that his post "appreciated the fact that the armed forces chose Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh for the press conference to highlight that the dream of the founders of our Republic, of an India united in its diversity, is still very much alive." He further stated: "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. There is nothing remotely misogynistic about my comments that could be construed as anti-women." The May 12 notice concerned remarks Mahmudabad made about Operation Sindoor-a May 7 military strike by Indian forces against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. Mahmudabad's remarks were annexed to the notice, and in one of them, he said that "right-wing people applauding Colonel Sofia Qureshi should demand protection for victims of mob lynchings and arbitrary bulldozing of properties". The associate professor described the media briefings by Colonel Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh as "optics" and stated: "But optics must translate to reality on the ground otherwise it's just hypocrisy." The commission alleged his comments disparaged women in uniform and misrepresented facts with references to "genocide, dehumanisation, and hypocrisy," potentially inciting public unrest and undermining national integrity. Bhatia criticised him on Wednesday, saying: "His social media posts suggest his mentality is of rebellion against the country. There is no love for the country. He lives in India, achieved his accomplishments here, but uses such a language against his own people." Ashoka University distanced itself from the controversy, stating: "Comments made by a faculty member on his personal social media pages do not represent the opinion of the university. These statements have been made by him independently in his individual capacity. Ashoka University and all members of the Ashoka community are proud of India's armed forces."...