The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has demanded the immediate release of its Co-Convenor and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka and other party volunteers who were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of a scheduled regional volunteers’ meeting.
According to the CJP, more than 30 of its workers, including members of the party’s central committee, were detained before the meeting could begin. The party also said at least 20 additional volunteers who had arrived in Dispur to attend the programme were detained.
The meeting was initially scheduled for 10 am at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon. The organisers later shifted the venue to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, alleging that pressure had been exerted on the original venue.
Ranka, who had arrived in Guwahati ahead of the programme, alleged that the gathering was being held peacefully on private property when police began detaining members of the CJP team. He also alleged that the authorities were attempting to prevent the party from raising issues concerning government schools, man-made flooding and other matters in Assam.
The CJP said it was seeking clarity on the grounds for the detentions and described the disruption of the proposed meeting as a matter of concern. The party demanded the immediate release of Ranka and the other detained volunteers.
A press conference was subsequently held at 12.45 pm at Chowdhury Tila. The briefing was addressed by Anish Gawande, National Spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), along with CJP leader Saifur Rehman and Paresh Malakar, Coordinator of Civil Society.
The speakers discussed the reported detention of Ranka and other CJP volunteers, the disruption of the scheduled meeting, the circumstances surrounding the change of venue and the issues raised by the party regarding its activities in Assam.
The CJP said that, according to the latest information available to it, Assam Police had detained Ranka and other party members, while no detailed public explanation for the detentions had been issued by the police at the time of the briefing.
CJP Founder and National Convenor Abhijeet Dipke also said that he would travel to Assam in connection with the developments. Dipke alleged that Ranka and other members of the CJP team had been detained without being given a reason and said he would personally come to Assam with the party team if Ranka was not released.
The CJP said that if the detained members were not released, it would hold another press conference at 5.30 pm on Sunday and announce its further course of action in consultation with its members and supporters.
The party reiterated that the detentions would not deter it from continuing its grassroots activities and raising issues relating to schools, infrastructure and citizens’ concerns in Assam.
