Ashutosh Ranka Detained in Guwahati as CJP Volunteers’ Meeting Is Disrupted

Cockroach Janata Party co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and several supporters were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of a planned volunteers’ meeting, according to claims by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and other reports.

Ranka, who reached Guwahati a day earlier, was scheduled to meet CJP supporters during the day. Dipke alleged that police detained Ranka and members of the CJP team and took them to an unknown location, preventing the planned gathering.

Reports said about 30 CJP workers, including members of the party’s central committee, were detained ahead of the meeting. However, the exact number of people detained was not officially confirmed by police.

The meeting was part of the organisation’s activities in Assam. Ranka and other CJP members had planned to meet volunteers and discuss issues the organisation wanted to raise.

CJP leaders said they intended to visit government schools and meet families affected by electoral-roll revision. The organisation also raised concerns relating to floods and issues around land, forests and water in the Kaziranga area.

While being taken away by police, Ranka alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was afraid that the CJP would expose the condition of schools. He alleged that people’s rights in Kaziranga were affected for corporates.

Ranka further claimed that Sarma had won the Assembly election by redrawing constituency boundaries. These allegations were made by the CJP leader and were not independently established in the PTI report.

A video shared on Ranka’s X account showed him sitting in a moving vehicle with police. He was heard making the allegations against the chief minister while being taken away.

The detention came a day after Ranka and other CJP leaders met members of the Raijor Dal in Assam, according to reports. The CJP has recently said it plans to expand its activities in Assam and the Northeast.

As of Sunday afternoon, Guwahati Police had not issued a detailed public statement on the number of people detained or the reasons for the action.