Centre Alleges US, Pakistan Links To Cockroach Janta Party Funding, Opposition Questions Evidence

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has accused the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and two of its key members of receiving funds from overseas sources, including US-based donors and Pakistani politicians, to fuel anti-government campaigns in India. Singh alleged that the group's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, had received money from US-based donors, while its strategist, Ashutosh Ranka, had been paid by Pakistani politicians. The allegations have not been accompanied by publicly released financial records or other documentary evidence. The minister, however, claimed that intelligence agencies had information supporting the charges.

The allegations come amid tensions over CJP's protests in Delhi against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and its criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Speaking in Bengaluru, Singh accused foreign-funded organisations and what he described as anti-India networks of attempting to manufacture narratives against the government. He also alleged that the protests were an attempt to shift political battles from electoral platforms to the streets. The CJP has been described in media reports as a satirical political outfit that uses social media campaigns and street demonstrations to criticise the government.

Police Summon CJP Members Over Delhi Protests

The Delhi Police Crime Branch summoned CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for questioning on November 5. Investigators are examining allegations that they violated prohibitory orders, entered Jantar Mantar without permission and trespassed onto another party's property. The summons followed a series of protests in the national capital, including demonstrations against the SIR exercise and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

According to NDTV, Das and Ranka were detained on October 10 and released after signing peace bonds of Rs 50,000 each and undertaking not to engage in activities that could breach public peace for a year. Three days later, they and another CJP member, Ajinkya Shinde, allegedly crossed police barricades and climbed the locked gates of Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as an authorised protest site. The group raised slogans against Kumar over the voter-roll revision exercise.

Singh said the alleged foreign funding issue was being handled by intelligence and other agencies, adding that details would be disclosed by the concerned authorities at an appropriate time. BJP spokesperson Tuhin A Sinha separately accused CJP of attempting to create unrest in Delhi during the festive season and alleged that its protests were intended to undermine democratic institutions. These remain allegations by BJP leaders; no public findings establishing illegal foreign funding were cited in the reports.

Congress Questions Centre's Foreign Funding Claims

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge criticised the BJP over the allegations, questioning why the Centre had not presented evidence if it possessed information about foreign funding.

He challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and intelligence agencies to substantiate the claims. Kharge also suggested that the BJP, Congress and RSS should discuss their respective funding sources in a public debate moderated by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.