CJP's Ranka says movement aims to change politics

CJP sets out its political case

Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka says the group’s political ambition is to change how politics is conducted, rather than to seek office. In an interview published Wednesday, he said CJP wants public debate to focus on issues it says have been neglected, including education and employment.

Ranka was responding to questions about comments by Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk on the group’s political ambitions. “We are fighting to change the politics of this country,” Ranka told The Indian Express.

The interview follows CJP’s Jantar Mantar campaign and its subsequent focus on government-school conditions. Ranka said CJP would continue to prioritise education while widening its attention to unemployment and institutional accountability.

What we can verify

• The Indian Express published Ranka’s interview on September 3, 2026.
• Ranka said CJP’s ambition was to change the way politics operates and to put core issues into public discussion.
• He said CJP’s “School Thik Karo” campaign had audited government schools, and corrected a figure cited in the interview from 1,500 to 15,000 schools.
• Ranka described education as a continuing priority and named unemployment, judicial reform, the Election Commission and mainstream media among areas CJP intends to address.

What remains unverified

Ranka said 80–90% of the schools visited were in poor condition. That is his assessment in the interview; the report does not cite an independent audit or release underlying school-level data, so the claim remains [unverified].