Tensions flared in Assam on Sunday as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke issued a direct warning to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, threatening to travel to the state with key party leadership if co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and over 30 detained volunteers were not immediately released.
The confrontation erupted after Assam Police detained Ranka alongside several CJP workers from a private location in Guwahati ahead of their scheduled regional volunteers’ meeting.
High-Handedness and Venue Cancellations Alleged
According to CJP leadership, police personnel began preventing party workers from organizing their planned gathering early Sunday morning.
- Venue Shifted: The regional volunteers’ meet-up was originally slated for 10:00 AM at the Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan in Athgaon. However, organizers were forced to shift the location to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, after alleged government pressure was applied to cancel the original venue booking.
- Private Residence Arrests: Ranka was subsequently picked up from a private residence by Guwahati police without being formally served charges.
“Ashu was picked up by Assam Police from a private residence. They have still not been told under what charges or on what grounds he has been detained. If Ashu is not released, I will go to Assam along with other CJP members. Himanta can arrest us all,” stated CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on X.
Before his detention, Ranka accused the state administration of attempting to silence the party’s ongoing public campaigns regarding public infrastructure and governance.
“Police were acting like goons since morning. It was a peaceful meeting at a private property, but police kept detaining our team members, and now all of us have been detained,” Ranka said prior to being taken into custody.
Campaign Focus Remains Intact
Despite the crackdown, the movement released a statement maintaining that its operational plans for the state would proceed. The CJP emphasized that its immediate focus in Assam will remain centered on two major grassroots initiatives:
- ”School Thik Karo” Campaign: Conducting citizen-led audits of educational facilities, infrastructure, and amenities across government schools.
- Electoral Roll Outreach: Assisting local families impacted by the ongoing Special Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
As of Sunday afternoon, Assam Police had not issued an official public statement regarding the formal legal grounds for the detentions.
