New Delhi: Historians yesterday joined writers, filmmakers and scientists in growing protests against ‘climate of intolerance’ over which top scientist P M Bhargava said he will return his Padma Bhushan award. He alleged that the Modi government was trying to make India into a ‘Hindu religious autocracy’.

As a second group of scientists joined the protests by the intelligentsia on Wednesday, 53 historians including Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, K N Pannikar and Mridula Mukherjee hit out at PM Narendra Modi for not making any ‘reassuring statement’ following concerns over ‘highly vitiated atmosphere’ prevailing in the country.