US singer Mary Millben and CJP's Abhijeet Dipke trade charges on social media over funding

A row has erupted on social media between American singer Mary Millben and Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The dispute has come into focus amid ongoing protests in Delhi against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the SIR.

The row began with a tweet by Millben, known as a fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who alleged that Dipke and the CJP were receiving funding from donors in the United States. Addressing Indian youth, she wrote, "This is not the time to stay silent. Abhijeet Dipke and the Cockroach Janta Party are receiving funding from people sitting in America who are opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership."

Millben further claimed that certain donors follow the same pattern across the world. They target conservative leaders, identify a person from that country who has studied in America, radicalise the person and send them back, and fund the chaos, she said.

Dipke reacted angrily to the claims. "Who gave foreign nationals the right to interfere in India's internal affairs?" he asked. Dipke said he was fully capable of handling the country's issues and outside interference was not needed. He also asked why Modi was seeking the support of Americans to defame citizens of his own country.

Millben responded with another tweet. Addressing Dipke, she wrote, "Truth sets everyone free. The truth is that these American donors will abandon you immediately when you do not succeed." She also said illegal things never win, and that American education and talent should be used for good work.

According to Millben, Prime Minister Modi does not need American support. She wrote that 1.5 billion Indian citizens stand behind him, have backed him for the past 25 years, including 12 years as Prime Minister and with three consecutive victories, and will do so in 2029 as well.

Meanwhile, a statement by AISA president Neha Bora, who took part in the Supreme Court march led by Rahul Gandhi against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the SIR, has also triggered a controversy. In an interview, Bora had said, "The Bangladesh movement has shown a way to Gen-Z around the world. That fight in Bangladesh was for democracy and the right to vote. India's Gen-Z is also fighting for democracy and the right to vote."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly objected to the statement. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are not ready to oppose politically through democratic means, and that their aim is not a change of government but the destruction of the Constitution and democracy. The BJP also alleged that Bora, who has become the face of the agitation, wants to create instability and violence in India like that in Bangladesh, and that this is part of an anti-India conspiracy.

On one side, the CJP and opposition parties are taking a stand against the government over the election process and the SIR. On the other, the ruling party and its supporters, including Millben, are alleging that foreign forces are behind the agitations.