Debate With Arnab: What Constitutes Freedom Of Expression?

Debate With Arnab: Freedom of expression is one of the foundational pillars of any democracy, but what happens when that very freedom collides with questions of national interest, law, and public sentiment?

In this explosive edition of Debate With Arnab, we confront a controversy that has reignited a nationwide conversation. A professor from Ashoka University has been arrested for a social media post critical of Operation Sindoor, the government-led initiative widely seen as a crucial counter-terror effort. The arrest has sparked outrage in academic circles and beyond — with some calling it a blatant suppression of intellectual freedom, and others defending it as a necessary action against anti-national rhetoric.

As this firestorm rages, another name has entered the spotlight, Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad, whose recent remarks in public and academic forums have raised serious questions: Did Mahmudabad cross the line in the name of free speech? Are these instances of independent thought and dissent, or are they calculated provocations that undermine national unity and security?

Where should the line be drawn between personal opinion and punishable speech? Are universities becoming battlegrounds for ideological propaganda? And is the state justified in cracking down, or is this a dangerous precedent for silencing critics?