In late December, when prohibitory orders were clamped in Karnataka as protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act grew, the image that stood out was of historian Ramachandra Guha, holding a placard with a B.R. Ambedkar picture, being pulled away by policemen in Bangalore. Widely shared on social media, the police action drew dismay from many who pointed out that Guha was merely registering his protest peacefully. But Section 144 has long been controversial—a colonial relic that all governments use in various situations— and a subject of litigation. There have been scores of demonstrations, both against and for CAA, since then in Bangalore that have gone on peacefully. But things took an ugly turn in Mangalore where two people were killed in police firing on December 19.