NEW DELHI:
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has sarcastically thanked the organisers of a Ramlila event in Delhi for giving his party what he described as “free publicity” after they announced plans to burn a giant cockroach effigy alongside the traditional effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna.
The Shri Keshav Ram Leela Committee in Pitampura planned to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy during its Dussehra celebrations on October 20. Committee president Ashok Goel, a BJP MLA representing Model Town, said the initiative was intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. He maintained that the decision was not politically motivated and was meant to reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil. The proposed effigy, however, attracted considerable attention on social media, with some questioning the appropriateness of introducing it into a traditional religious celebration.
Reacting to the development, Dipke thanked the organisers for the publicity and urged his supporters not to respond with hatred or abandon their principles. He said the party should continue its movement peacefully despite the detention of its leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The controversy comes amid the CJP’s protests in the national capital, including demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The proposed effigy has added an unusual political dimension to the Dussehra celebrations, while the party’s leadership has sought to turn the attention into an opportunity to strengthen its public presence.