'Who is Himanta scared of?' CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka detained in Assam

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke accused the police of intercepting Ranka and other members of the organisation as they were on their way to attend what he described as a small volunteers' meeting.

“Assam Police has detained Ashutosh Ranka and the CJP team and is taking them to an unknown location,” Dipke said in a post on X.

CJP alleges police blocked meeting venue

The organisation claimed that police personnel blocked access to the meeting venue and intercepted people attempting to reach the spot.

Ranka had arrived in Guwahati on Saturday and was scheduled to participate in the September 27 regional volunteers' meeting.

The venue was later changed to Chaudhary Tila, opposite the Assam Secretariat, according to a message circulated by the CJP.

Several other CJP members had also arrived in Assam earlier as part of the organisation's activities in the state.

Electoral rolls, schools on CJP agenda

Ranka had said the CJP planned to meet families affected by the revision of electoral rolls in Assam and visit government schools to assess their condition.

The organisation's Assam campaign also includes its “School Thik Karo” initiative, which focuses on examining infrastructure and facilities in government schools.

Ranka had also raised questions over the electoral-roll revision and alleged that the process required greater scrutiny.

CJP claims tear gas used, lawyers denied access

The CJP further alleged that tear-gas equipment was deployed near the venue and claimed that its lawyers were not allowed to meet the detained activists.

The organisation said it was unable to immediately establish the exact number of people detained or their locations.

These claims have been made by the CJP and have not been independently established in the information available.

Organisation demands release

Dipke and other CJP leaders have demanded the immediate release of Ranka and the other volunteers.

The organisation said the alleged police action would not stop its planned activities in Assam, including its campaign on electoral-roll revision, government schools and expansion of its volunteer network across the state and the Northeast.