Govt scared of India's most accomplished historian: Mamata Banerjee on Guha's detention

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday reacted to the detention of renowned historian Ramachandra Guha by the Bengaluru police amid protests over the amended Citizenship Act. Expressing soliditary over Guha's detention, Banerjee said the government is scared of one of India’s most accomplished historians for speaking to the media on the Citizenship Bill.

Taking to Twitter, Mamata Banerjee said, "This government is scared of students. This government is scared of one of India’s most accomplished historians for speaking to the media on #CAB #NRC and holding a poster of GandhiJi."

"I condemn the detention of Ram Guha. We extend our full solidarity to all those detained," she added.

Renowned historian Ramachandra Guha was among many activists detained by the Bengaluru police on Thursday during protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Several protestors had gathered at Townhall and Mysuru Bank circle in Bengaluru in defiance of the prohibitory orders imposed by the BS. Yediyurappa-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka.

"The CAA is an anti-Constitutional, anti-India law that was passed, we have the perfect right to fight against it. We had permission, and in face of so much of resistance around the country, BJP government has brought (Section) 144 and police have toed the line of their political bosses and treating people like animals here," Clifton Rozario, noted rights activist and lawyer, said after being detained.

The protestors are likely to be charged under section 188 (disobedience of public order) among other cases, police officials and activists said.

Twenty-four others were also detained along with Guha by the Bengaluru Police, when they attempted to stage a peaceful protest against Act. Police said the protesters had violated prohibitory orders clamped in the city against any protest or demonstration.

Guha was bundled into a van where he said it was "absolutely undemocratic" that police was not allowing even a peaceful protest, which is the democratic right of the citizens.

Banerjee has been vocal against NRC and the Act and had staged three protest marches in Howrah and Kolkata since Monday.

West Bengal had witnessed violent protests against the Act.

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