A social activist from Surat, Amit Tiwari, has filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking details on how Abhijit Deepke, founder of the “Cockroach Janata Party”, financed his higher studies in the United States.
Deepke recently led a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against the alleged NEET question paper leak. The demonstration ended after Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, according to the report.
Questions have also been raised about the funding behind the protest, including who supported logistics such as food distribution and why leaders from AAP, Congress and Left parties backed the agitation. Deepke is reported to have studied journalism in Pune and later completed a master’s degree at Boston University, and he has said he is currently looking for work. The report also notes that he handled AAP’s social media operations and election campaign strategy from 2020 to 2023.
Last week, former Union minister Kapil Sibal reportedly donated Rs 1 crore to the organisation to support legal action against police measures taken against protest participants. Tiwari said he has filed complaints with the Election Commission and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs regarding the donation, arguing that such contributions should attract 18% GST.
In his remarks, Tiwari also questioned how Deepke’s father—reported to be a junior engineer with Maharashtra’s MIDC with a monthly salary of around Rs 60,000 to Rs 65,000—could have afforded the US education expenses. He further alleged that the outfit functions like a political party and should be registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to receive donations, seeking action over the unregistered receipt of the Rs 1 crore contribution.
