Several Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) volunteers detained in Guwahati have alleged that they were not provided food for nearly 24 hours while in police custody. The volunteers were detained on Sunday ahead of the organisation’s first regional volunteers’ meeting. CJP leader Anam, who was among those released, said there were 32 people in the group and alleged that detainees received only one banana during the period. All those detained were later released.

Those detained included CJP national co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, East and North-East in-charge Ankit Bhardwaj, joint secretary Premakash Golu and Assam coordinator Sahil. Reports said the group was taken to a police facility in Guwahati after being stopped before the scheduled meeting. The detentions occurred as the organisation sought to expand its activities in Assam and the wider Northeast.

The CJP questioned the legal basis for the detentions and alleged that authorities had not provided clear grounds or an official order explaining the action. The organisation also alleged that the police action was intended to prevent its volunteers from holding a peaceful meeting. These claims were made by the CJP, while police had not publicly provided details on the reasons for the detentions in the reports available at the time.

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After his release, Ranka addressed the media at Chowdhury Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, where the group said it had initially been detained. He outlined the organisation’s plans for Assam, including its proposed “School Thik Karo” campaign, under which volunteers would visit government schools to document infrastructure, teacher availability and basic facilities and raise concerns with authorities.

Ranka also raised questions about Assam’s electoral roll revision and the 2023 constituency delimitation. He alleged that the division of some villages across different Assembly constituencies amounted to gerrymandering and called for the boundaries to be examined against official delimitation records. The allegations relate to constituency boundaries and are separate from the Special Revision of electoral rolls.

The CJP has said it plans to establish volunteer units across the northeastern states, beginning with Assam, to document public grievances and coordinate local campaigns. The organisation said its activities would include school visits, scrutiny of electoral roll revisions and public outreach. The detention episode has added to the political dispute surrounding the group’s attempts to expand its presence in Assam, while the circumstances and legal basis of the police action remain contested.

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