Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka was detained by Assam Police along with several party activists in Guwahati on Sunday morning, September 27, shortly before the organisation’s planned regional volunteers’ meeting near the Assam Secretariat.
While being taken away by the police, Ranka alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was “scared” that CJP’s campaign would expose the condition of government schools in the state.
'Himanta Biswa Sarma Is Scared': Ranka
Speaking to reporters during the detention, Ranka said the CJP’s school-focused campaign could bring attention to the condition of schools in Assam.
“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 Assam government was taking away the rights of people in Kaziranga and claimed that land, forests and water were being taken away and given to corporates.
The allegations were made by Ranka while he and his team were being detained. No detailed official explanation from Assam Police regarding the detentions was immediately available in the reports reviewed.
CJP Team Was Heading For Volunteers’ Meet
Ranka and other CJP members had been in Assam ahead of the organisation’s first regional volunteers’ meeting scheduled for September 27 in Guwahati.
According to reports, the meeting was planned to bring together CJP volunteers from Assam and other northeastern states. Ranka had arrived in Guwahati on Saturday and was scheduled to participate in the programme.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also posted on social media claiming that Ranka and members of the team had been detained while they were on their way to the gathering.
CJP Expands ‘School Thik Karo’ Campaign In Assam
The detention came as CJP stepped up its activities in Assam, including its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign aimed at highlighting the condition of government schools.
Ranka had said before the planned meeting that his Assam visit would include school visits, meetings with families affected by the ongoing electoral-roll revision and interactions with local volunteers.
CJP members had already visited schools in parts of Assam as part of the campaign, while the organisation has been seeking to expand its presence across the Northeast. Reports said the group planned to use the regional meeting to discuss its organisational activities and future outreach in the state.
CJP’s Activities In Assam
The development comes days after CJP representatives held a press conference in Guwahati over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and announced a campaign against what they described as exclusions from the draft rolls.
The organisation has also been raising issues related to government schools and civic concerns as it seeks to expand its grassroots activities beyond Delhi.
The September 27 volunteers’ meeting was expected to be an important part of that expansion.
No Official Explanation On Detention Yet
While CJP has described the detention as an action against its members, a detailed explanation from Assam Police regarding the reason for taking Ranka and the other activists into custody was not available in the reports reviewed.
The situation remains developing, with the organisation expected to respond to the detentions and the status of the planned volunteers’ meeting.
