CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has rejected allegations surrounding the funding of his education in the United States, saying his studies were financed through a scholarship from Boston University and a student loan rather than unexplained family wealth.
His statement comes after an RTI activist called for a financial probe into his family's finances, raising questions about how his overseas education was funded.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Dipke addressed the allegations by presenting what he identified as his Boston University scholarship award letter.
He said his education was funded through the scholarship along with a student loan, adding that the loan is still being repaid.
Dipke maintained that there was nothing irregular about the financing of his overseas studies.
RTI activist questions family's finances
The response follows a demand made a day earlier by Surat-based RTI activist Amit Tiwari, who urged authorities to examine the financial background of Dipke's father, Bhagwanrao Dipke.
Bhagwanrao Dipke serves as a junior engineer with Maharashtra's Industrial Development Corporation.
Tiwari argued that a JE-level monthly salary, which he estimated at around Rs60,000 to Rs65,000, could not reasonably have covered the cost of sending children to study in the United States.
Based on that claim, he requested the Maharashtra government to investigate the family's finances.
Separate complaints with ECI, CBIC
Apart from raising questions about Dipke's education funding, Tiwari has also approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) with separate complaints.
He contends that CJP operates in a manner similar to a political organisation while accepting public donations, but has not registered as a political party under the Representation of the People Act.
Tiwari has urged the Election Commission to require the organisation to register as a political party. The RTI activist also flagged a reported Rs 1 crore contribution pledged by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.
He argued that Goods and Services Tax (GST) should be applied to the reported contribution and requested that the CBIC examine the matter.
Criticism over protest movement
Beyond financial issues, Tiwari also criticized the evolution of the CJP-led protest movement.
According to him, the movement initially began as an agitation over the NEET paper leak, but later shifted toward personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comments about the prime minister's late mother.
Tiwari described those remarks as inappropriate.
So far, none of the authorities approached by Tiwari -- the Maharashtra government, the Election Commission of India, or the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs -- have issued any public response.
The allegations also remain unverified by any investigating authority.
Meanwhile, Dipke continues to insist that his education in the United States was funded legitimately through a Boston University scholarship and a student loan.
