COCKROACH EFFIGY CONTROVERSY GIVES CJP UNEXPECTED SPOTLIGHT AS DELHI RAMLILA PLANS DUSSEHRA SPECTACLE
October 20, 2026
NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 20: The proposed burning of a giant cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran at a Ramlila celebration in Delhi has triggered a political and public debate, prompting the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to respond with a mixture of sarcasm and criticism.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked the Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee for what he described as “free publicity” after the organisers announced plans to burn a 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy during the annual event. The committee organises the Ramlila celebration in Pitampura.
The proposal has attracted attention because the Cockroach Janta Party has recently emerged as a pressure group involved in protests against the government and public authorities. Its activities initially focused on demands for accountability over examination-related controversies and later expanded to demonstrations seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Ratna Singh, the CJP’s legal head, criticised the proposed effigy-burning exercise, describing it as a “tamasha”. The party’s response has added a political dimension to an event that organisers insist is intended to promote cleanliness rather than target any particular organisation.
Committee president Ashok Goel, a BJP MLA, has denied that the decision carries a political motive. He said the cockroach symbolises filth and dirt, and that burning its effigy is intended to reinforce the message of cleanliness associated with the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. He also presented the ritual as a symbolic celebration of the victory of good over evil.
According to the organisers, the cockroach will be included among the asuras in Ravan’s army and burned alongside the traditional effigies. The committee maintains that the initiative is connected to its cleanliness message and should not be interpreted as a political statement.
However, the plan has prompted questions on social media about the appropriateness of introducing the insect effigy into a religious and cultural celebration traditionally associated with the defeat of Ravan. Some users have also questioned whether contemporary political developments are becoming intertwined with the festival’s symbolism.
The controversy comes as the CJP remains active in the national capital following a series of protests. The group first drew attention through its agitation over examination-related issues and later participated in demonstrations demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The proposed effigy has therefore become a talking point at the intersection of religious symbolism, public cleanliness campaigns and political satire. While the committee insists that its intention is non-political, the CJP’s reaction has ensured that the planned spectacle has attracted attention beyond the traditional Ramlila celebrations.
The episode illustrates how a symbolic gesture intended to convey a civic message can acquire wider political significance when it intersects with an already prominent public movement. Whether the cockroach effigy remains simply a representation of dirt or is interpreted through the lens of current political tensions is likely to remain central to the debate surrounding the event.
