Assam Police Detain CJP Leader Ashutosh Ranka and 30 Workers Ahead of Guwahati Volunteer Meeting
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Assam Police detained over 30 workers of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including co-convener Ashutosh Ranka and four central committee members, in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of a planned regional volunteers’ gathering.
The police action unfolded early in the morning as party activists attempted to assemble for the organizational meeting, prompting sharp criticism from CJP leadership regarding state governance and political freedoms.
Venue Changed Following Alleged Administrative Pressure
The party originally scheduled its regional volunteers' meeting for 10 AM at the Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon. Organisers were forced to relocate the event to Chowdhury Tila, located opposite the Assam Secretariat, after alleging that authorities pressured the management of the initial venue into cancelling their booking.
Ranka, who arrived in Guwahati on Saturday alongside senior party members Ankit Bhardwaj, Akash Prem, Varun Agrawal, and Anam, maintained that venue cancellations would not derail their efforts to establish an organisational footprint in the state.
CJP Leadership Alleges Political Intimidation
Speaking prior to his detention, Ranka accused the state administration of using police forces to suppress public discussion on municipal and social infrastructure.
"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.
He further alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's administration acted out of concern over the party's plans to highlight local issues, including the condition of government schools and the impact of artificial flooding across the region.
Silence From Local Authorities Amid Expansion Drive
The CJP had planned the regional volunteers’ meeting to consolidate local cadre and expand its organisational structure across Assam. Despite the widespread detentions reported throughout Sunday morning, Assam Police issued no official statement confirming the number of custody cases or the legal grounds for the action.
