Guwahati: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday flagged alleged intimidation of its supporters in Assam and urged anyone facing threats from the police or other forces after joining its movement to come forward for legal assistance.At a news conference at the Guwahati Press Club, CJP core committee member and media coordinator Sheikh Sahil Uddin Shah said the party has reached out to students, youths and intellectuals across Assam to gather feedback before deciding its next political course. He said 11 youths who joined the movement were arrested in Assam and later released.“Assam Police arrested 11 activists who came out in support of our movement. When we raised the issue with the central committee that people were being arrested in Assam, they issued a press release. After that, the state govt released them. If there are still people facing such problems and they contact us, we will provide them legal help. They should not be afraid,” Shah said.“We are collecting feedback and suggestions from Assam and will discuss them at the party’s two-day strategy meeting on Aug 5 and 6 in Maharashtra,” Shah added, as police were deployed in significant numbers outside the press club during the news conference.CJP is reportedly in touch with regional outfits Assam Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal to take its movement forward and is also in contact with the SFI’s Assam state unit. The party is likely to form its Assam state committee soon, Shah said.“We will form committees in universities and colleges across the state,” he said, urging youths and students to take membership in CJP.A significant number of students from various organisations backed the CJP-led movement and supported Sonam Wangchuk, particularly in Guwahati and Nagaon.Shah said CJP is currently focused on deciding its future course. “We are seeking feedback on what comes next — whether it will be a political organisation, a student organisation or something else. We will take feedback from students, senior journalists, senior advocates and, mainly, working-class people. We are reaching out to them and taking their views to finalise our agenda,” he said.
