Anti-CAA protestors detained in B'lore, K'taka towns

Hundreds of agitators, including noted historian Ramchandra Guha were detained in Bengaluru, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga across Karnataka for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, police said on Thursday.

"About 300 agitators were taken into preventive custody at Town Hall in Bengaluru as they tried to assemble at the venue despite a three-day ban in force under section 144 of the CrPC against protest marches to maintain law and order and prevent untoward incidents," a police official told IANS.

The protesters were singing and chanting "Azadi" at Townhall in Bengaluru and many were removed by the police and loaded into buses. Many protesting women were also taken away by the police for detention. The protesters were seen sloganeering from inside the buses as they were being taken for detention.

Even as protests were continuing, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao was personally replying to several protesters from his official twitter handle, exhorting them not to defy. Rao's twitter handle replied to one Rahul Singh: "Respected sir, please don't provoke citizens and mislead them into violation of orders #144 Cr Pc."

A Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj was detained from his residence.

Several women sat on the road at Mysore Bank Circle and chanted slogans against the CAA and police. The police detain several protesters here also.

Bengaluru police were not arresting, but only taking protesters into preventive custody for defying section 144 of CrPc.

About 500 baton-wielding police personnel were deployed at Town Hall to prevent sit-in demonstrations against the CAA and the NRC (National Registration of Citizens).

Additional police forces were also stationed at Mysore Bank circle and Freedom Park in the city central to prevent protest rallies and sit-in demos.

"The protesters were detained and whisked away from Town Hall and Freedom Park as they tried to breach the barricades placed at the venue to prevent violating the ban order and prevent disturbing peace.

About 200 protestors were also taken into preventive custody at Kalaburagi in the state's northern region, about 650km away from Bengaluru, for raising anti-CAA and anit-NRC slogans and condemning the ruling BJP government in the state and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for the CAA and NRC.

A consortium of Left wing, Muslim organisations and college students' associations in the state have joined the day-long all-India shutdown (Bharat bandh) to protest against the CAA and the NRC and sought their repeal as they both were arbitrary.

On Wednesday night, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao imposed the ban order under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) from Thursday to Saturday as a precautionary measure following the shutdown call by various organisations.

"Normal life, however, remains unaffected across the city and its business as usual. We have placed additional forces at sensitive areas and crowded places like railway stations, city bus complexes, inter-state bus terminus, markets, malls, colleges and university campus," Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) told IANS here.

As the police have received reports of proposed pro and anti-CAA rallies, Rao said the ban would prevent holding them and thwart any possible clashes.

Section 144 has also been clamped in other parts of Karnataka, with additional deployment of police personnel in cities and towns across the southern state to maintain law and order.

"We have advised the people not to join or participate in any protest march or demonstration so as to maintain peace and prevent untoward incidents. Strict action will be taken under section 198 of the IPC if damage is caused to public property or violent attack on any citizen," state Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) A.K. Pandey here.

According to reports from across the state, normal life remained unaffected in many towns and cities, with schools, colleges, shops, eateries and offices functioning and public transport (buses) playing.

The CAA grants Indian citizenship to persecuted religious minorities, like Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from the neighbouring Muslim-majority countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.IANS