New Delhi, 03 August— In a challenge to the ruling RSS-BJP ecosystem, Abhijeet Dipke today offered to make public his scholarship and education loan documents if Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows his academic degree.
Dipke’s response came after a Right to Information (RTI) activist, who is said to be close to a Gujarat BJP leader, sought an inquiry into the finances of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder’s family. The BJP dirty tricks department is trying to malign the CJP founder’s public image.
Dipke responded via a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) to the complaint filed by Surat-based RTI activist Amit Tiwari, who has sought an investigation into how Dipke’s father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, a retired Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) junior engineer, financed his son’s higher education abroad.
“I am ready to reveal my scholarship letter & education loan letter. Will the emperor show his degree?” Dipke wrote while sharing the video.
In the video, he said in Hindi: “Hello everyone, I just saw that a BJP worker has filed an RTI on me and he wants to know how I completed my education. So I want to ask him, will your leader show their degree? I am ready to show my scholarship letter and education loan letter. Will your leader show their real degree?”
He added: “And I don’t understand what is the problem with their education? If an ordinary boy has studied in Boston University, then why do you have a problem? Why are you guys so against education?”
Dipke said he financed his US education through a scholarship from Boston University and an education loan.
He is a post-graduate in public relations from the College of Communication at Boston University, and returned to India in June this year.
“I have received a scholarship from Boston University for my education. I also availed an education loan for my studies there. It has to be repaid. Everyone is free to investigate,” Dipke said.
“Whenever people raise their voice against this government, they start sending the ED and CBI. Let them come to my home and investigate. I am ready to show my letters, but if the PM is sending ED, he should also send his degree and make it public,” he said. “My degree is authentic and I expect that Modi’s degree will also be authentic,” he added.
o a query on whether CJP will become a political party, Dipke said, “I feel that media is disappointed with the existing political parties. We don’t have any such intention (of forming a political party) as of now and want to keep it as a public movement for now.” “What will we do by becoming a political party when votes are stolen? People are losing faith in politics because they vote for someone in the morning and someone else’s government is formed in the evening,” he said.
“MLAs and MPs jump from one party to another. When parties are broken by sending ED and CBI, what is the use of becoming a political party,” Dipke said.
In a separate interview with a new agency, Dipke said the protests in Bangladesh and Nepal were “being used to defame us; we are different.”
Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin had earlier said that the CJP protests reminded her of her home country which had descended into chaos and religious fanaticism after the student revolt.
Dipke’s remarks on his education came after Tiwari filed complaints on August 1 with multiple authorities, including the Maharashtra government, seeking a probe into the financial status of Dipke’s father. The activist questioned how a retired government employee was able to fund his son’s overseas education.
Tiwari has also approached the Election Commission of India and Central GST authorities over a legal defence fund announced by senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal for CJP supporters facing police cases linked to the NEET paper leak protests.
Tiwari has also written to the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), seeking an examination of whether 18 per cent GST would apply to the Rs 1 crore pledged by Sibal towards legal aid for CJP protesters.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
