On Thursday, historian Ramachandra Guha was detained during a protest at Town Hall in Bengaluru against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
A video showing, 61-year-old holding a poster that reads, "CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act] against Constitution", and arguing with city police as they take him away. Guha was participating in a protest at the Town Hall where Section 144 was imposed last evening ahead of today's protests, reported NDTV.
"I have been detained by police for holding a poster of Gandhi and speaking about the constitution to the press. The police are working under directions from central government. We are protesting non-violently against a discriminatory act, in a disciplined way. Look here, everyone is protesting peacefully. Have you seen any violence?" Ramchandra Guha told NDTV.
On Wednesday, the city authorities had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure from 6 am for the next three days. The section prohibits the assembly of four or more people at one place.
Soon after Ramchandra Guha was detained netizens took to Twitter to support the historian. Twitterati have been expressing their views. Even prominent journalists like Shekhar Gupta and Barkha Dutt came out in support of Ramachandra Guha.
"These visual will hurt India’s image for a very long time... This is among India’s best known public intellectuals worldwide, and this is in Bengaluru, our most globalized city... Somebody has to be NUTS to do this... Brand India is being made to fray, super-quick," Shekhar Gupta said.
"I mean India have we gone totally mad. Detaining @Ram_Guha at anti #CAA_NRC protests. The way the protests have been handled nationally says everything. Shameful," Barkha Dutt tweeted.
The Citizen Amendment) Act grants Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities, like Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsies and Christians from the neighbouring Muslim-majority countries, like Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
