Mary Millben, Abhijeet Dipke exchange barbs over CJP funding

• American singer Mary Millben claims US-based donors are funding CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s outfit to oppose PM Narendra Modi and urges young Indians to protest peacefully

• The CJP founder questions foreign interference in India’s internal affairs and says Indians can resolve their own political issues

• The exchange comes as opposition parties and the CJP demand chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls

American singer Mary Millben and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke exchanged sharp remarks on Wednesday over allegations of foreign funding for the outfit, which has been spearheading protests in India.

The exchange unfolded on X amid protests in New Delhi by Opposition parties and the CJP, which are demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Millben alleged that the CJP was receiving financial support from US-based donors opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership. She urged young Indians to organise and peacefully oppose what she described as the outfit’s “disruptive” activities.

Dipke responded by questioning the involvement of foreign nationals in India’s domestic political affairs. He also asked why Modi would seek support from Americans to discredit Indian citizens.

“Who gave foreign nationals the right to interfere in India’s internal affairs? We are more than capable of dealing with our own issues. We don’t need outsiders interfering in our country’s affairs,” Dipke said in response to Millben.

In her initial post, Millben claimed that Dipke and his party were “funded by donors in the US who are against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and your future under his leadership”.

Calling on young Indians to take a stand, she said, “This is not the time to be silent,” and urged them to peacefully protest against what she described as disruptive forces.

Millben also alleged that certain US-based donors followed a broader pattern of targeting conservative political leaders around the world by identifying US-educated individuals from their home countries, radicalising them and financing their political activities after their return.

“These select donors have a pattern globally - target conservative global leaders, find a US-educated person from the country, radicalise them, send them back to the country, and fund them to start chaos and destruction,” she wrote.

She added that, in her view, such efforts had not succeeded but had affected the development and governance of the countries involved.

Millben called for a counter-movement to uphold democracy and freedom, urging young Indians to organise and peacefully oppose the CJP.

“It is time for a new voice in #India, born, raised, educated on the soil of India, to RISE UP, organise, and peacefully protest the disruptive spirit of the Cockroach Party... Rise up, young patriots! Rise up!” she wrote.

The allegations about foreign funding were made by Millben in her social media posts. The exchange itself does not establish whether the CJP has received funding from the donors she referred to.

Dipke strongly rejected Millben’s remarks, arguing that India’s domestic political disputes should be addressed by Indians rather than outsiders.

He questioned why the prime minister would need American support to counter criticism from Indian citizens, maintaining that the country was capable of managing its own political disagreements.

His response placed the focus on the broader question of foreign involvement in domestic political debates, as protests over the electoral roll revision continued in New Delhi.

The CJP and opposition parties have been demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. The controversy has become a point of political contention, with critics raising concerns about the revision process.

Millben subsequently responded to Dipke, saying that Modi did not need backing from the United States because he had the support of Indian citizens.

“And the PM doesn’t need American support. He has 1.5 billion beautiful Indian citizens who support him and have for 25 years, 12 years as PM, three consecutive terms. And will again in 2029. That’s the truth,” she wrote.

She also warned Dipke that the US donors she alleged were supporting his outfit could withdraw their backing if it failed to achieve its objectives.

“And you won’t, because lawlessness never wins. Instead, take your US education, talent, and use it for good,” Millben said.

She further urged Dipke to meet Modi and become a constructive voice in advancing India, adding that his willingness to do what was right would be reflected in his future actions.

Mary Millben is an African-American singer and actress who has gained recognition in India for her performances of the country’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, and the devotional song Om Jai Jagdish Hare.

In 2023, Millben performed India’s national anthem at an event in the United States during Modi’s visit to the country.

Her latest remarks have drawn her into a political dispute over protests, electoral roll revisions and allegations of foreign funding, while Dipke has challenged her right to comment on India’s internal affairs.

The exchange highlights the growing online confrontation surrounding the protests and the competing claims about foreign influence in India’s domestic political landscape.

With PTI inputs