Historian Ramachandra Guha was detained on December 19 in Bengaluru while taking part in a protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Section 144 is imposed in Bengaluru amid call for intense protests against new citizenship law. Meanwhile in Delhi, activist Umar Khalid, too, was taken into custody for protesting CAA near Red Fort where Section 144 is in place.

Nation-wide protests intensified after Citizenship Amendment Bill was cleared by Parliament and received President Ram Nath Kovind's assent on December 13. Section 144 is imposed in multiple states across the country to tackle violent protests against CAA.