Assam Police Detain Cockroach Janata Party Leaders in Guwahati

Assam Police detained Ashutosh Ranka, co-convenor of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), along with leaders Ankit Bhardwaj, Prem Aakash, and several volunteers in Guwahati on September 27, 2026. The detentions occurred as police barricaded access roads near the Assam Secretariat and deployed tear-gas equipment to block a planned regional volunteers' meet-up.

Ranka alleged that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered the action to prevent the CJP from exposing the poor condition of government schools through its School Thik Karo campaign, as well as highlighting corporate land grabs in Kaziranga and man-made floods. The CJP further claimed that lawyers were denied access to the detainees and that the group was not informed of any formal charges.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke demanded the immediate release of the members, warning that he would travel to Assam if Ranka remained in custody. The detentions drew sharp criticism from political opponents. Gaurav Gogoi, the Assam Congress President, described the police action as illegal and unjustified, accusing the BJP-led government of using repressive tactics to silence youth who have rejected divisive politics.

The CJP maintains that the meeting was a peaceful gathering intended to discuss education reforms and irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The organization stated that its grassroots campaigns will continue across Assam and the Northeast despite the police intervention.