The Assam Police on Sunday detained over 30 activists and workers of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including its co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and four central committee members, just hours before the youth group’s inaugural regional volunteers’ meeting in Guwahati.
The detentions took place in Dispur as party organizers were arriving near Chowdhury Tila, located directly opposite the Assam Secretariat. The CJP claimed that police heavily barricaded the access roads and deployed tear-gas equipment to prevent attendees from assembling.
Shifted Venues and Alleged Pressures
The party’s regional meet-up was originally slated for 10:00 AM at the Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan in Athgaon. However, CJP leaders said they were forced to shift the event to Chowdhury Tila after state authorities allegedly pressured the management of the original venue to cancel their booking.
Speaking to reporters prior to his detention, Ranka accused the state government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, of utilizing police machinery to stifle democratic expression and avoid public scrutiny.
”Himanta Biswa Sarma is afraid that if we show the reality of schools in Assam, the country will come to know about their condition,” Ranka said. “He is scared because of how the rights of our people are being taken away in Kaziranga, and how land, forests, and water are being given away to corporates.”
Ranka, who arrived in Guwahati on Saturday along with national executive members Ankit Bhardwaj, Akash Prem, Varun Agrawal, and Anam, reiterated that state-sponsored disruptions would not stop the party’s grassroots outreach in the region.
”We were stopped and threatened since morning, but we are not scared. Himanta should know what we are made of; we won’t stop until we expose them,” Ranka added following his detention.
Growing Friction in the Northeast
The incident marks a fresh escalation between state authorities and the satirical youth movement, which was formed earlier this year to campaign on issues of youth unemployment, educational accountability, and civic governance.
In a public statement, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke condemned the detentions and demanded the immediate, unconditional release of Ranka and all detained volunteers.
As of Sunday afternoon, Assam Police have not issued an official statement regarding the legal grounds or location of the detentions.
