CJP Co-Convenor Ashutosh Ranka, Over 30 Workers Detained in Guwahati
More than 30 CJP workers, including four central committee members, were reportedly detained ahead of the meeting; the party later said 35 detainees began an indefinite hunger strike.
GUWAHATI- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor and chief spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka and more than 30 party workers were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of the organisation’s first regional volunteers’ meeting in the state, according to multiple reports and statements from the party.
The reported detentions included four members of the CJP central committee. The party claimed that around 50 people had been taken into custody, but that higher figure could not be independently verified. Reports from Hindustan Times, The Week and other outlets put the confirmed or reported number at more than 30.
The meeting was initially scheduled for 10 am at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon. Organisers later shifted the venue to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, after alleging that pressure had been exerted on the original venue to cancel the booking.
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CJP leaders said the meeting was intended to bring together volunteers from Assam and other parts of the Northeast and discuss the organisation’s planned activities in the state. These included its “School Thik Karo” campaign, outreach to families affected by electoral-roll revision, and issues concerning floods and land-related matters.
Ranka had arrived in Guwahati ahead of the meeting along with other CJP members, including Ankit Bhardwaj and Prem Aakash. The CJP said volunteers attempting to reach the revised venue were stopped and detained. Hindustan Times reported that police had blocked access to the proposed venue and that Ranka alleged the gathering was a peaceful meeting on private property.
CJP allegations
The CJP alleged that police barricaded routes leading to the meeting site and prevented volunteers from reaching the venue. The organisation also alleged that police were prepared with tear-gas equipment and that members were being systematically intercepted.
These claims were reported as allegations by the party; Assam Police had not issued a detailed public statement explaining the detentions, the number of people held or the grounds for the action in the latest reports available on Sunday.
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Ranka, while being taken away, accused the state government of attempting to prevent the CJP from raising questions about government schools and other issues in Assam. He also alleged that the organisation’s activities concerning Kaziranga, floods and electoral-roll revision were being obstructed. His allegations have not been independently established.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke separately demanded Ranka’s release, saying that the party had not been informed of the grounds or charges for his detention. Dipke also said he would travel to Assam with other CJP members if Ranka and the other detainees were not released.
Hunger strike announced
Later in the day, the CJP said that 35 detained members, including Ranka, had begun an indefinite hunger strike inside a police facility, demanding their release. The party described the detention as arbitrary and said the protest would continue until the detainees were released. Free Press Journal reported the party’s claim about the hunger strike and the absence of a stated reason for the detention.
The CJP said the detentions would not affect its planned grassroots activities in Assam, including its education campaign and outreach concerning electoral-roll revision.
Political reaction
Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi condemned the reported detentions, describing them as unacceptable and illegal and questioning the state government’s handling of the incident. His remarks were reported on Sunday after the detentions.
There was no public statement from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma specifically addressing the CJP detentions in the latest reports reviewed for this report.
The incident remains a developing political and law-and-order matter, with the precise legal grounds for the detentions and the subsequent status of those held still not publicly clarified by Assam Police in the reports available as of Sunday evening.
