Abhijeet Dipke denies allegations of unexplained family wealth
What's the story
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has denied allegations that his education at Boston University was funded by unexplained family wealth. The controversy started after Right to Information (RTI) activist Amit Tiwari filed complaints seeking an investigation into Dipke's finances and academic background. Tiwari questioned how Dipke's father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, a retired government employee allegedly earning between ₹60,000-65,000 per month, could afford his son's US education.
Education funding
Dipke shows scholarship letter during interview
In an interview with senior journalist Barkha Dutt, Dipke clarified that his education was funded through a Boston University scholarship and an educational loan.
He also produced a copy of his scholarship letter during the interview to substantiate his claim.
"My education was funded by a scholarship provided by Boston University. And I had taken some education loan, which I have to pay back now," he said.
Financing plans
CJP to rely on crowdfunding for future activities
When asked about how the CJP plans to fund its activities in the future, Dipke said they would be relying on crowdfunding.
"The CJP will do crowdfunding going forward where we will be asking money from people, and we will be very transparent about it," he said.
He also spoke about a recent protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak, which was largely supported by public donations.
Protest details
CJP's protest over NEET-UG paper leak culminates in minister's resignation
The CJP's protest over the NEET-UG paper leak started in late June with activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The movement intensified in July with a "Sansad Chalo" march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the Monsoon session's start.
The protests ended on July 25 with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigning, one of the key demands raised by both CJP and protesting students.