‘Let’s Both Show Our Degrees’: CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Challenges PM Modi Amid Boston University Row

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly show his educational degree, saying he too would display his degree from Boston University if the Prime Minister did the same.

In a post on X, Dipke called on Modi to “both show our degrees” and put an end to the controversy surrounding his educational credentials.

“People are really running out of patience waiting to see my degree. Makes me wonder how they’ve managed for 12 years without seeing the Prime Minister’s,” Dipke said.

He followed it up with another challenge: “Let’s both show our degrees and put an end to this.”

The remarks came amid a fresh controversy over Dipke’s claimed education at Boston University, after podcaster Prakhar Gupta questioned his credentials during a recent podcast featuring activist Sonam Wangchuk.

Hours before his latest post, Dipke also shared a video compilation that appeared to show an after-party associated with Boston University. The clip, posted by an account named “BUComGrad”, shows Dipke sitting at a table and speaking with several people.

What Did Prakhar Gupta Claim?

A purported clip from Gupta’s podcast has circulated widely on social media. In it, Gupta said one of his close friends had studied at Boston University and had also participated in the protests led by the CJP.

Gupta did not name the friend but said he works in the media and hosts podcasts.

“One of my best friends went to Boston University. Boston University is also Abhijeet’s college,” Gupta said.

According to Gupta, the friend was initially a strong supporter of the protest movement but later began looking into Dipke’s educational background.

“One month later, he has gone down the rabbit hole of checking Abhijeet’s educational credentials and found that there is no record of him graduating from Boston University,” Gupta claimed.

The claim has not been independently established in the material cited.

Dipke’s Earlier Response on His Education

Questions about Dipke’s education and how it was financed in the US had surfaced earlier as well.

Surat-based RTI activist Amit Tiwari had sought an inquiry into the finances of Dipke’s father, Bhagwanrao Dipke, a retired Maharashtra government employee. Tiwari questioned how Dipke could afford education in the US when his father had worked as a junior engineer with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

“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?” Tiwari told news agency ANI.

The RTI request also sought scrutiny of funds associated with the CJP, particularly in relation to Dipke’s education.

Dipke has rejected the allegations, saying his education at Boston University was financed through a scholarship and an education loan.

“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 senior journalist Barkha Dutt in an interview.

During the interview, he also showed what he described as his scholarship letter from the US university.

Dipke Again Targets PM Modi

Dipke subsequently escalated his criticism of the Prime Minister, asking why Modi’s educational qualifications had not been publicly disclosed.

“Why did the Delhi High Court refuse to disclose the PM’s degree? From what I’ve learned from the IT Cell over the last few days, anyone who doesn’t show their degree is apparently a fraud and a liar,” he said in another post on X.

Questions surrounding Modi’s educational qualifications have been raised by opposition leaders on several occasions. The BJP has previously displayed Modi’s degree publicly and has maintained that the controversy surrounding his educational credentials has already been settled.

The CJP has also defended its founder. Party spokesperson Vaishnavi Gaur hit back at the RTI-related questions over Dipke’s education, arguing that scrutiny of a private individual’s educational expenses should also prompt questions about the PM CARES Fund.

Dipke’s latest challenge to Modi marks the second time he has sought to turn the controversy over his educational credentials into a direct political confrontation with the Prime Minister.