Modi Sarkar might have arrested Mahatma Gandhi: Ramachandra Guha

Noted historian Ramachandra Guha on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government over the arrest activist Sudha Bhardwaj, saying that if Mahatma Gandhi was alive today, he would have defended the activist in the court himself. He added that the Mahatma would have done so if “Modi Sarkar hadn’t yet detained and arrested him too”.

Implying that the Modi government would have arrested Mahatma Gandhi as well, Ramachandra Guha wrote on microblogging site Twitter: “As a biographer of Gandhi, I have no doubt that if the Mahatma was alive today, he would don his lawyer's robes and defend Sudha Bharadwaj in court; that is assuming the Modi Sarkar hadn't yet detained and arrested him too.”

As a biographer of Gandhi, I have no doubt that if the Mahatma was alive today, he would don his lawyer's robes and defend Sudha Bharadwaj in court; that is assuming the Modi Sarkar hadn't yet detained and arrested him too

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) August 28, 2018

Sudha Bhardwaj was arrested on Tuesday from Faridabad in Haryana as the Maharashtra Police raided the homes of various prominent Left-wing activists in several states for suspected Maoist links.

Reacting to the action by authorities, the Congress party said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “new India is nothing but a dictatorship wrapped in expensive advertising”.

The draconian arrests of Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Fereira and Vernon Gonsalves & other human rights activists further substantiate the anti-democratic actions of the ruling govt. PM Modi’s ‘New India’ is nothing but a dictatorship wrapped in expensive advertising. #BhimaKoregaon

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2018

The party tweeted, “The draconian arrests of Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Fereira and Vernon Gonsalves & other human rights activists further substantiate the anti-democratic actions of the ruling govt. PM Modi’s ‘New India’ is nothing but a dictatorship wrapped in expensive advertising. #BhimaKoregaon.”

The police had sought the transit remand of the activists but was denied the same by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

"It is directed that in case the detenue is produced before the Ilaqa Magistrate/Duty Magistrate/Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridabad, the orders granting transit remand will be passed after going through the contents of the FIR and recording a finding that the provision of Sections 41 and 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code have been compiled with," the high court said. 

"Till then, the detenue, Sudha Bhardwaj, shall be kept at the place, that is her home at Badarpur in Haryana, from where she was arrested under the supervision of Police Station Surajkund," said Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, who heard the habeas corpus writ petition.

The next date of hearing has been fixed for August 30. The counsels representing Bhardwaj pleaded that her client was a human rights activist and was taken into custody by the Maharashtra Police, and was taken from her home at Badarpur border in Faridabad.