Anti-CAA protests: Historian Ramachandra Guha detained in Bengaluru

Noted historian Ramachandra Guha was detained in Bengaluru on Thursday, december 19, while he was protesting at Town Hall. Guha condemned the Bengaluru Police for its action against the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in the city.

A video that has been doing the rounds on the internet shows Guha, 61, holding a poster that reads, "CAA [Citizenship Amendment Act] against Constitution", and arguing with city police as they take him away.

"We are protesting in a non-violent manner totally. This is a discriminatory act. See how the police are behaving against the citizens. What is this action of the police," said Guha.

Guha castigated the police for playing to the tunes of the Central government in Delhi.

He was one among the protesters taken into preventive custody for staging a protest against the CAA.

Reacting to his detention, Guha said it was "absolutely undemocratic" that police were not allowing even a peaceful protest, which is the democratic right of the citizens.

Guha was carrying a placard bearing the image of B. R. Ambedkar in blue, reading CAA against Constitution.

He was pushed and detained by a group of policemen and lead into a bus as he was speaking.

Photographs and a video of his detention went viral.

(With agency inputs)