Assam Opposition Condemns Detention of CJP Activists Amidst Rising Tensions
Opposition Voices Outrage Over Detentions
CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka before being taken away in a police bus following his detention. (Photo: Screengrab/AT)
GUWAHATI, Sept 28: The BJP-led government in Assam faced backlash from opposition parties on Sunday regarding the detention of activists from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in Guwahati. Critics argue that the police's actions are an attempt to suppress the voices of the youth. They have called for the immediate release of those detained, labeling the police's conduct as both illegal and intolerable.
Among those detained was CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka, along with over 40 volunteers, who were apprehended at the residence of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) leader Kunki Chowdhury in the Dispur area, close to the State secretariat, just before a planned meeting.
State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi expressed his condemnation of the detentions via social media, stating, “The arrest of many young Assamese, influencers, and activists in Guwahati is entirely unacceptable and unlawful.” He questioned the BJP's fear of the youth, suggesting it stems from their rejection of the party's divisive tactics. “I stand with the youth of Assam,” he added.
Reetam Singh, the general secretary of the State Congress legal cell, reported Ranka as missing at the Dispur police station, fearing he had been “abducted by individuals in Assam Police uniforms.”
“Ashutosh Ranka was taken from private property without any notice or warrant by unidentified persons in police attire. We suspect he was targeted for exposing corruption, putting his life at risk,” Singh stated.
Raijor Dal leader Gyanashree Bora noted that no one was permitted to contact Ranka or the other detainees, who were being held at the 10th Assam Police Battalion complex. “At the very least, their lawyer should be allowed access,” she insisted in a video outside the battalion gate. Bora emphasized that the CJP members were detained while discussing matters on private property and warned that both political and non-political groups would rally in support of the CJP if they remained imprisoned.
AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi also denounced the police's actions and criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who oversees the Home portfolio. He tweeted, “I strongly condemn the detention of @Cockroachisback Co-Convener @AshutoshRanka and other CJP members by @assampolice.”
In a direct message to Sarma, he remarked, “Dissent is not a crime. If your government is truly confident, why silence those who challenge it?” Rajesh Sharma, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in-charge for the Northeast, echoed these sentiments, asserting that the police's actions demonstrated the government's fear of youth engagement. He characterized the detentions from private property as an “undemocratic” move, claiming that the CJP members were arrested for discussing state issues. Sharma further alleged that the Chief Minister was worried about young voices addressing topics like school conditions, land use in Kaziranga, and state corruption.
“The youth of Assam are awakening and uniting against this oppression. We demand immediate release for all detained leaders and workers,” he stated. In contrast, senior BJP leader Manab Deka asserted that Assam would not yield to intimidation.
In response to a social media comment from CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who announced plans to lead the group’s members to Assam, Deka retorted, “Assam doesn’t need lessons in bravery. This land has historically resisted threats, and its people know how to confront challenges.”