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IAC President seeks probe into alleged foreign funding of Cockroach Janta Party protest

Pune, Oct 19 (UNI) The protest launched by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against the functioning of the Election Commission appears to be losing momentum, amid developments including the detention and subsequent release on bail of its founder Abhijeet Dipke, action against key activists and questions over the movement's sources of funding, Hemant Patil, national president of India Against Corruption (IAC) and an RTI activist, said on Monday.
Patil said the direction and objectives of the movement needed closer scrutiny, particularly in view of questions raised about its financial sources.
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju has expressed suspicion on social media about possible American interference behind the movement. Questions have also been raised in political circles over the sources of funding received by the CJP, he said.
However, the allegations of foreign funding have not been independently established, and Patil called for an impartial investigation into the matter.
Allegations alone cannot establish anyone's guilt. However, the public must be informed about the sources of funds for the movement, how the money is spent and whether its financial transactions are transparent, he said.
Patil said the right to protest was an integral part of democracy, but the political motives, financial transactions and objectives behind movements that sought to exert political pressure also needed to be examined.
Objections to the functioning of the Election Commission should be raised through constitutional and legal channels and supported by evidence, he said.
Although the CJP has indicated plans to regroup and formulate its future strategy, recent developments appear to have posed challenges to maintaining the movement's earlier momentum, Patil said.
UNI SP RN
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