‘No record’: Podcaster’s claim reignites row over CJP founder’s BU degree; Dipke hits back with video

NEW DELHI: A fresh controversy has erupted over Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke’s educational credentials after podcaster Prakhar Gupta said one of his friends who studied at Boston University could not find a record of Dipke’s graduation there.The claim was made during an episode of The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast featuring climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.Gupta said one of his close friends had studied at Boston University and had been actively involved in supporting the CJP-led protest at Jantar Mantar.“One of my best friends went to Boston University. It is also Abhijeet’s college,” Gupta said during the podcast.He said his friend had participated in the protests and produced media content in support of the movement.Gupta claimed that about a month later, his friend began looking into Dipke’s educational credentials and allegedly found no record of him graduating from Boston University.“He has gone down the rabbit hole of checking up Abhijeet’s education credentials and found there is no record of him graduating from Boston University,” Gupta said.Dipke, however, responded to the claim on X, appearing to mock the suggestion that his graduation could not be verified.“Not my fault that his friends were not invited at BU COM Grad events,” Dipke wrote, while sharing a video appearing to show him at an event associated with Boston University’s College of Communication graduate community.The video was a screen recording of a story posted by an Instagram account identified as “BU COM Grad, Student Council”.The latest allegation comes despite Boston University itself having published material identifying Dipke as a graduate.In a June 2026 article, Boston University’s College of Communication described Dipke as a “COM grad” and said he had completed his master’s in public relations from the university the previous year.The university article also carried an interview with Dipke in which he discussed how his studies at BU influenced the communication strategy behind the CJP campaign.Dipke has previously maintained that he studied at Boston University and earned a master’s degree in public relations. He has also said his education was financed through a Boston University scholarship and an education loan.Amid the controversy, Dipke had earlier said he was willing to produce his degree and other documents to establish his educational credentials.The dispute has now resurfaced as Dipke and the CJP leadership face increasing scrutiny over their backgrounds and political ambitions following the movement’s prolonged protests over examination-related issues.Sonam Wangchuk on Dipke’s political ambitionsThe same podcast also featured Wangchuk discussing Dipke and other CJP organisers, including their possible political ambitions.Wangchuk said he believed Dipke and his fellow organisers appeared to have political aspirations, although they had not explicitly told him about any such plans. He said there was nothing inherently wrong with political ambitions as long as the CJP remained a non-party platform.“Political ambition is very normal,” Wangchuk said, adding that he did not care about the organisers’ past political connections and had no problem with their present or future political aspirations.Wangchuk also said the organisers were not necessarily acting entirely selflessly and described them as “well meaning”, “quite skilled” and “above average”. He cautioned that their political aspirations should not turn the CJP platform itself into a vehicle for any political party.He said the organisers could eventually join an existing political party or form one of their own, but should preserve CJP as a “neutral, apolitical pressure group”.The comments came days before the Supreme Court quashed 127 FIRs filed against student protesters in five states in connection with the CJP agitation.Following assurances given before the court, CJP called off its proposed September 5 march from India Gate to Delhi Police headquarters.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.