India's Cockroach Janta Party team's detention ends in Assam

The alleged detention of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and several party volunteers by the Assam Police ended in the evening, with Ranka claiming that the police action was "illegal" and announcing that he would address the media from the spot where he was picked up earlier in the day.

Six women volunteers of CJP, who were detained by the Assam police earlier on Sunday while on their way to attend a party meeting in Guwahati, were released.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Ranka said, "The illegal detention by Assam Police has finally ended", and added that the CJP team had asked the police to drop them at the place from where they were allegedly picked up.

He added that he would address the press at Chaudhary Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, in Guwahati.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reacted to Ranka's announcement with a remark expressing disappointment that the planned protest outside a police station would no longer take place.

"I was actually looking forward to joining your strike at the police station tomorrow," Dipke said on X.

The development followed the detention earlier on Sunday of Ranka and more than 30 CJP workers, including four members of the party's central committee, according to the organisation.

The detentions came shortly before a regional volunteers' meeting scheduled in Guwahati.

The meeting was initially planned at Assam Shree Parshuram Seva Sadan on Kharga Choudhury Road in Athgaon.

The venue was subsequently shifted to Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, after CJP members alleged that pressure had been exerted on the original venue to cancel the booking.

Ranka had arrived in Guwahati on Saturday along with other CJP members.

The organisation said its Assam activities included meeting local volunteers, visiting government schools and interacting with families affected by the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Before his detention, Ranka alleged that police were preventing the group from holding the meeting and accused the authorities of repeatedly detaining its members.

CJP founder Dipke had earlier claimed that Ranka was picked up from a private residence and said the detained members had not been informed of the charges or grounds for their detention.

The CJP subsequently demanded the immediate release of Ranka and other volunteers, alleging targeted suppression of its activities in Assam.

Assam Police had not issued an immediate public statement explaining the grounds for the detentions, according to reports.

The release of Ranka and the other CJP members brings the immediate detention incident to an end, while the organisation is expected to address the media on the circumstances surrounding the police action.

Indo-Asian News Service