Over 30 CJP workers detained in Guwahati ahead of regional volunteers’ meeting

More than 30 workers of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including four members of its central committee, were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of the organisation's scheduled regional volunteers' meeting, the party said.

CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka was among those detained. Speaking before he was taken into custody, Ranka alleged that police had been preventing the group from holding a peaceful meeting at a private property.

"We were stopped and threatened since morning, but we are not scared. Himanta should know what we are made of," Ranka said after his detention.

Police had not issued a statement on the detentions at the time of publication.

Meeting venue changed after alleged pressure

The regional volunteers' meeting was initially scheduled for 10am at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon.

Organisers later shifted the programme to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, alleging that pressure had been exerted on the original venue to cancel the booking. The CJP had announced the change on Saturday, with the revised venue also scheduled for 10am.

Ranka had arrived in Guwahati on Saturday along with CJP members Ankit Bhardwaj, Akash Prem, Varun Agrawal and Anam. The four members had reached Assam earlier, on September 23, as part of the organisation's visit to the state.

Ranka had said before the detentions that the cancellation of venues would not prevent the CJP from holding its programme in Assam.

The organisation's Assam visit has also included plans to meet families affected by the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and visit government schools as part of its "School Thik Karo" campaign. Ranka said on Saturday that the group would meet local families and volunteers while examining issues concerning schools in the state.

Ashutosh Ranka alleges government trying to block criticism

Ranka accused the Assam government of attempting to prevent the CJP from raising questions about the condition of schools and other issues in the state.

"Himanta Biswa Sarma is afraid that we'll expose the condition of the schools here, the reality of man-made floods, and other issues; that is why they are threatening us. But he doesn't know what we are made of, we won't stop until we expose them," Ranka said before his detention.

He repeated the allegation after being detained, saying the group had been stopped and threatened since morning.

Recent reports on the CJP's Assam campaign say the organisation has been seeking to expand its activities in the Northeast, with education, electoral-roll revision and local civic issues among the subjects it plans to raise. The CJP has also said it intends to assess government-school infrastructure through its "School Thik Karo" campaign.

The detentions came after a series of confrontations involving CJP activities in other states. In August, Ranka and CJP workers were involved in a dispute during a school visit in Rajasthan, following which cross FIRs were registered.

No official explanation for Sunday's detentions had been issued by Assam Police when the report was filed.