RTI activist questions funding of Abhijeet Dipke's US education, cites father's ₹60,000-65,000 monthly salary
A man from Surat in Gujarat has filed a Right to Information (RTI) Act application seeking details about the funding of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)
A man from Surat in Gujarat has filed a Right to Information (RTI) Act application seeking details about the funding of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke's education. Dipke recently completed his Master's degree at Boston University in the US. Surat-based RTI activist Amit Tiwari has sought an investigation into the finances of Bhagwanrao Dipke, the CJP founder's father. He questioned how Bhagwanrao, a junior engineer earning a “salary of ₹60,000-65,000 a month”, could afford to send his son abroad for higher education. "I have complained to the Maharashtra Government that Bhagwanrao Dipke was a Junior Engineer at MIDC. So, if he received a salary of ₹60,000-65,000, how was he able to afford the education of his children in the US?" he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Complaints filed with ECI and CBIC The activist has also approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) over the legal status of the CJP and the tax liability on a ₹1 crore fund pledged by Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal. Earlier this week, senior advocate Kapil Sibal announced a contribution of ₹1 crore to a fund set up by the CJP to provide legal assistance to protesters arrested by Delhi Police during the recent protests. Speaking to ANI, Tiwari on Thursday said he had filed complaints at three different authorities. "I have filed a complaint at three different locations. I have complained against CJP at ECI. Regarding the ₹1 Crore fund by Kapil Sibal, I have complained to CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) that 18% GST be levied on it," Tiwari said.
Tiwari questions CJP's legal status In his complaint against the CJP, Tiwari alleged that the organisation was collecting donations even though it was not registered as a political party. "As far as the complaint against CJP is concerned, if they are acting like a political party, if they take in donations but are non-registered, they will have to register under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. We have demanded that action be taken against them as they are non-registered but are accepting a fund of ₹1 crore," he said. Abhijeet Dipke's education qualification Abhijeet Dipke, 30, is a political communications strategist and has become the public face of the movement. He studied journalism in Pune before moving to the United States for higher studies.
The BriefWire