From the North to the South, there is no state in the country that has not erupted in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Historian Ramachandra Guha, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and Left leaders D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat and Prakash Karat are some of the prominent public figures who have been detained by the police on December 19, in various states, for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the country.
Ramachandra Guha was dragged by the police mid-interview as he was detained along with dozens of other protestors in Bengaluru at the Town Hall during a protest against the CAA. Section 144 of CrPC which does not allow an assembly of 5 or more persons in public, was imposed in Karnataka last evening ahead of the protests to take place today.
Ramachandra Guha told 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?”.
Watch: Historian Ramachandra Guha, mid-interview, detained by cops https://t.co/6T9DRfCEPW pic.twitter.com/KV3S8WeCic
— NDTV Videos (@ndtvvideos) December 19, 2019
Swaraj India leader, Yogendra Yadav confirmed his detention through Twitter.
It is an honour to be detained on 19th of December, a small tribute to Ashfakulla Khan and Ramprasad Bismil.
Happy to be in the company of Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, ex-MP, Patiala pic.twitter.com/odFCzMJQNf— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) December 19, 2019
For fear of detention, many people had left the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Yogendra Yadav tweeted asking them to return to the venue and continue with the protest and that he would join them once he was freed from detention.
Appeal to all who have escaped detention to please come to Jantar Mantar and continue the protest.
As and when we are released from detention, we shall also join everyone at Jantar Mantar.
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) December 19, 2019
The Left leaders including D Raja, Sitaram Yechury, Nilotpal Basu, Brinda Karat who were detained at Mandi House, Delhi during the anti-CAA protest defying prohibitory orders, were later released. “We were detained and then taken in buses and dropped at different areas. I was dropped off near Karol Bagh while some others have been taken to Bawana,” CPI General Secretary D Raja told PTI just after he was let off.
A number of student protestors were also detained at Bhagwan Dass Road, the Deccan Herald reported the police as saying. Many student protestors were detained in the area around the Red Fort where section 144 has been imposed.
In some parts of Delhi, earlier today internet services were shut and there are reports that they are being restored gradually. In all this, protestors are quite evidently undeterred and unfazed by the political might and the brute police force and they are braving all of this to save the one holy book of the country, the Constitution.