After an RTI was filed for an inquiry into the funds for the Cockroach Janta Party, particularly Abhijeet Dipke’s education in the United States, the online outfit has responded and called for a probe into the PM CARES fund.
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On Sunday, a Surat-based RTI activist, Amit Tiwari, sought an inquiry into the finances of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, who is a retired Maharashtra government employee.
Tiwari told reporters that he had raised a complaint and questioned how Abhijeet Dipke was able to attend Boston University from the US.
“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 told news agency ANI.
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Tiwari also called on the government to investigate and take strict action in case of disproportionate assets.
CJP hits back
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke rejected the claims made by the RTI activist during an interview with senior journalist Barkha Dutt. Speaking to her, Dipke stated that he attended Boston University on a scholarship.
“My education was funded by a scholarship provided by Boston University. And I had taken some education loan which I have to pay back now,” Dipke told Dutt, while also revealing his scholarship letter from the US-based university.
CJP spokesperson Vaishnavi Gaur also responded, accusing Tiwari of targeting a private individual.
“Those who file RTIs into a private individual’s education expenses should also take a look at the PM CARES Fund too. Modi ji will forgive you too—don’t worry. (Ek private individual ke education expenses pe RTI lagane wale kabhi PM cares fund ki taraf bhi dekhe. Modi ji aapko maaf kar denge, don’t worry),” Gaur wrote on social media platform X.
Why PM CARES fund?
The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations – PM CARES – was created in March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
In June 2020, a statement from the prime minister’s office stated that the PM CARES fund did not qualify as a public authority under the Right to Information Act of 2005.
Also Read | PM CARES Fund may get RTI third-party privacy safeguards: Delhi high court
This statement came after multiple RTIs were filed, seeking transparency into the funds which citizens were asked to donate for.
However, the government maintains that the fund is not open for queries and that the fund receives “voluntary contributions and no money from state budgets.”
