Ashutosh Ranka Reache Guwahati for a Meet Up, Ends Up Meeting Police

Cockroach Janta Party co-convenor and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, along with several party workers and volunteers, was detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday, September 27, ahead of the organisation planned regional volunteers meeting. Multiple reports said the meeting could not proceed as planned after Ranka and other CJP members were taken into custody. The CJP had planned its first regional volunteers meeting in Guwahati as part of its efforts to expand its activities in Assam and the Northeast. Ranka had arrived in the city on Saturday and was scheduled to meet local volunteers and discuss issue including education, electoral roll revision and other local concern. According to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Ranka and members of the party team were detained before the meeting and taken to an undisclosed location. Dipke also claimed that lawyers attempting to meet the detained members were not being allowed access. Ranka, while being taken away by police, accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of trying to prevent the CJP from highlighting issues in the state. Himanta Biswa Sarma is scared that if we show the reality of schools in Assam, the country will come to know about their condition, Ranka said. He also alleged that the CJP wanted to raise questions about people rights in and around Kaziranga, including issues involving land, forests and water. These claims were made by Ranka while he was being taken away and represent the CJP’s position on the matter. CJP Says Meeting Was Prevented The organisation said its volunteers were detained while attempting to attend what it described as a peaceful meeting focused on the education system. The CJP posted that the detentions would not stop its campaign in Assam. Reports differed on the number of people detained. The Week reported that around 30 CJP workers, including four central committee members, were detained, while other reports described the detention of several leaders and volunteers. The exact number could not be independently verified from the available reports. Among the CJP leaders reportedly in Assam for the programme were Ranka, Ankit Bhardwaj, Prem Akash, Varun Agrawal and Anam. The party had planned to use the meeting to strengthen its volunteer network across Assam and the Northeast. Focus on Schools and Electoral Rolls The Guwahati programme was part of a wider campaign by the CJP around education and other local issues. Ranka had said that the party intended to visit schools, meet families and interact with volunteers during its Assam outreach. The group had also been raising concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with CJP representatives holding discussions and meetings in the state. The detention came shortly after CJP representatives met opposition figures in Assam and discussed issues including the state’s floods and the organisation’s planned activities. Political Allegations Follow Detention The incident has triggered a war of words between the CJP and the Assam government. CJP leaders have alleged that the police action was intended to prevent them from holding their meeting and raising questions about issues in the state. At the time of the reports reviewed, a detailed official explanation from Assam Police setting out the grounds for the detentions was not available. The circumstances surrounding the action therefore remain subject to further clarification from the authorities. For now, what was planned as a volunteer gathering in Guwahati has instead become a political confrontation, with the CJP alleging suppression and authorities yet to publicly provide a detailed account of the detention.