Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the online satirical movement, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to publicise their academic qualifications after a local BJP worker and an RTI activist sought details of his educational background by means of a Right to Information (RTI) application.
Posting on his official ‘X’ handle, Dipke wrote, “I am ready to reveal my scholarship letter and education loan letter. Will the emperor show his degree?,” in a veiled dig at Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, amid a renewed political debate over educational qualifications.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke
The remarks came after Dipke claimed in a video that a BJP worker had filed an RTI application seeking information on how he financed his higher education in the United States (US).
“Ready to make funding documents public”: Dipke
Responding to the RTI move, Dipke questioned why his academic credentials were emerging as a political flashpoint, and challenged BJP leaders to reveal their own qualifications. He said, “I just saw that a BJP worker has filed an RTI on me and wants to know how I completed my education. I want to ask him, will your leaders show their degree?”
Furthering his attack on the BJP, he said he was willing to publicise both his scholarship documents and education loan records, while urging BJP leaders to reveal what he described as their ‘real degree.’ He then asked, “If an ordinary boy has studied at Boston University, then why are they getting hurt? Why are you so against education?”
Until the filing of this report, BJP had not responded to Dipke’s latest remarks.
Boston University Scholarship and Education Loan facilitated studies in US
The row over Dipke’s educational background and the funding of his studies in the US has been simmering since a BJP worker reportedly filed the RTI application seeking related details.
Earlier, Dipke claimed his studies were financed through a combination of a scholarship awarded by Boston University and an education loan. He also said the loan remains outstanding and is yet to be repaid fully.
Dipke holds a Master of Science in Public Relations from the College of Communication at Boston University in Massachusetts. He returned to India in June before going to head one of the country’s largest protest movements.
Dipke denies comparison with Bangladesh protests
Meanwhile, Dipke has also responded to comments made by ousted Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who drew parallels between the CJP-led protests over alleged examination irregularities and the 2024 student-led movement in Bangladesh which culminated in the ousting of the Awami League government.
A still from Bangaldesh protests
In an interaction with news agency PTI, Dipke rejected the comparison, asserting that the Indian movement was fundamentally different. He said, “Protests in Bangladesh, Nepal are being used to defame us; we are different.”