‘Look at PM CARES Fund too’: CJP counters RTI over Abhijeet Dipke’s US education

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has hit back after an RTI activist sought an inquiry into the finances of founder Abhijeet Dipke’s family, calling instead for greater scrutiny of the PM CARES Fund.

Surat-based RTI activist Amit Tiwari on Sunday urged the Maharashtra government to investigate how Dipke pursued higher education at Boston University in the United States. Tiwari questioned whether Dipke’s father, Bhagwanrao Dipke—a retired Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) junior engineer—could have financed such education through his salary alone.

He also sought a probe into the family’s finances and called for action if any disproportionate assets were found.

Responding to the allegations in an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Abhijeet Dipke said his studies at Boston University were funded through a university scholarship along with an education loan.

“My education was funded by a scholarship provided by Boston University. I also took an education loan, which I am still repaying,” Dipke said, adding that he had shared his scholarship documents.

CJP spokesperson Vaishnavi Gaur also defended Dipke, accusing the RTI activist of selectively targeting a private individual. In a post on X, she said those seeking transparency into Dipke’s education expenses should instead demand scrutiny of the PM CARES Fund.

The PM CARES Fund was established in March 2020 to support relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, the Prime Minister’s Office stated that the fund is not a “public authority” under the Right to Information Act, 2005, and therefore is not subject to RTI queries. The government has maintained that PM CARES is financed through voluntary contributions and does not receive money from state budgets.