Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Sunday warned Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that he would travel to the state with other party members if co-convener Ashutosh Ranka, along with other CJP workers, was not released.
Before his detention, Ranka accused the Assam government of attempting to stop the CJP from raising questions about schools and other issues in the state. Police have not yet issued a statement on the detentions. More than 30 CJP workers, including four members of its central committee, were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati on Sunday ahead of the party’s scheduled regional volunteers’ meeting, according to the CJP.
Reacting to Ranka’s detention in Guwahati , Dipke said, “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. “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. In a statement issued later, the movement said it remained committed to its planned activities in Assam despite what it called “targeted suppression”. The party’s grassroots groundwork will proceed exactly as planned, with an immediate focus on its “School Thik Karo” education campaign and dedicated outreach to families affected by the Special Revision of electoral rolls,” CJP said.
“Despite today’s targeted suppression, the Cockroach Janta Party reiterates its absolute commitment to the people of Assam.
