Anti-CAA protests: Karnataka Home Minister never apologised for police action, says Ramachandra Guha

BENGALURU: Historian Ramachandra Guha on Thursday locked horns with Karnataka Home Minister SR Bommai dismissing the latter's claims that he offered apologies for the Bengaluru Police manhandling him during a protest on December 19 in Bengaluru.

The Police had detained Guha, among the others, after he participated in a protest against citizenship amendment act (CAA) in front of Town Hall in Bengaluru touching off strong protests from prominent citizens including from corporate India.

Guha, in a tweet, said: "The Home Minister of Karnataka has claimed on the floor of the State Assembly that he apologized to me by phone for the manhandling by the Bengaluru police on 19th December 2019. This is false. I received no such call or apology." He further said: "Even if such an apology had been offered, I would have rejected it. The imposition of Section 144 was illegal (as the Karnataka High Court has since held) and I was proud to be one of thousands of peaceful protesters who defied the State’s arbitrary action on that day."

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah came down heavily on the Home Minister accusing him of committing "perjury" on the floor of the House.

It answers the question of where @BJP4India workers derive their motivation to spread fake news. Bommai has insulted the people whom he represents. He has to now apologize to the people & @Ram_Guha in front of media," the former Congress chief minister tweeted.