Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 20: Amidst the increasing role of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the political scenario in the country, a BJP leader – controlled Ram Lila committee in Delhi has decided to burn an effigy of a “cockroach” along with the traditional custom of burning an effigy of “Ravana” as a symbol of “Swachha Bharat” campaign on the occasion of “Dusshera” on Tuesday.
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual event in Pitampura, has said the cockroach effigy was intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachha Bharat and Swachha Delhi campaigns.
On being questioned for the sudden move to introduce a cockroach effigy in a religious ceremony, the Committee president Ashok Goel, a BJP MLA, claimed that the decision was not politically motivated and was intended to convey the message of the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness. The cockroach would be depicted among the ‘asuras’ in Ravana’s army, he said.
The founder president of the satirical CJP Abhijeet Dipke has thanked the organisers for, what he called, “free publicity” after they announced plans to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran. “Thank you for the free publicity,” Mr Dipke said in reaction to the development. The CJP legal head Ratna Singh also reacted to the controversy, describing it as a “tamasha” (drama).
The development comes amid protests by the CJP in the national capital. The group initially protested against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and later joined demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The proposed effigy has triggered questions on social media, with some users questioning its propriety at a religious celebration and alleging that contemporary political developments were being mixed with the festival’s traditional significance.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj has filed a complaint with the Lieutenant Governor and Delhi Police commissioner against the organisers of the Shri Keshav Ram Leela Committee. In a post on X, Bharadwaj accused the organisers of deliberately hurting people’s religious sentiments, altering sacred Hindu traditions and attempting to incite enmity between communities.
The complaint named committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Sevraha and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, among others, and seeks the immediate removal of the allegedly offensive content from media platforms. Mr Bharadwaj sought an FIR, warning that he would approach the court if no action is taken.
Several social media users have questioned the decision, arguing that bringing contemporary political developments into a religious celebration could hurt sentiments and divert attention from the festival’s traditional significance.
“Dusshera symbolises the victory of good over evil. Why turn this beautiful tradition into a platform for contemporary political rivalries?” one user wrote, urging that festivals unite communities rather than deepen political divisions.
Another user said equating Ravana with a cockroach would not affect the CJP but could hurt Hindu sentiments. Others questioned the religious basis of the initiative and alleged the festival was being used to advance a political message.
“As a Hindu, this is very disrespectful to the religion and everything that I tend to follow in my life. They are politicising Hinduism and mixing things for their own benefit,” one user said. Another questioned the decision in the context of Delhi’s environmental concerns, asking why a large effigy needed to be burnt when the city was already grappling with air pollution.
Mr Goel, however, said the committee had used its annual effigy-burning tradition to highlight different social evils in previous years. Last year, the committee burnt an effigy symbolising Naxalism, while the year before, one of the effigies represented terrorism, he said. He maintained that this year’s cockroach effigy was intended to highlight filth and uncleanliness, and was not linked to the CJP or any political development.
Separately, Sandip Bindal, president of the Indraprastha Ram Leela Committee in Patparganj, said the committee would burn a fourth effigy, titled ‘Aaj ka Ravana’, alongside those of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran, as part of its annual tradition of highlighting social evils. Mr Bindal said ‘Aaj ka Ravana’ represents price manipulation in generic medicines and counterfeit drugs.
“The prices are being inflated to such an extent that an ordinary person cannot afford them. On top of that, there is a risk of someone buying a medicine that is not even effective,” he said. He added that the fourth effigy is selected through a voting process involving committee members and other people during the first eight days of the Ram Leela and is burnt on the final day.
Meanwhile, the CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka on Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the extension by two days of their judicial custody with their counsel seeking an urgent hearing in the matter. The development comes a day after a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM) extended the custody of both activists until October 21. Das and Ranka have sought a night hearing in the high court, which is shut this week due to Dusshera vacation.
Notably, the CJP has also accused authorities of deliberately prolonging the “illegal arrest” of Das and Ranka by “delaying court proceedings” and alleged that bail sureties had been rejected on “vague” grounds, even as police registered a non-cognisable report over “threats” received by the magistrate hearing the matter.
The party’s legal affairs head, Ratna Singh, confirmed that the matter had been taken to the High Court and called for the immediate release of the two co-convenors. “We have moved the Delhi High Court and requested an urgent night hearing. Saurav and Ashutosh should not spend a single minute behind bars. Their liberty must not be curtailed because of political games. Justice must not wait,” Ms Singh said in a post on X.
The party has alleged that the bail proceedings in the case were being deliberately delayed to prevent Das and Ranka from being released. Das and Ranka were taken into custody on October 13 after they allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar. The location had earlier been denotified as a designated protest site. The two activists were subsequently placed under preventive arrest and sent to five days of judicial custody. On Monday they were produced before a newly appointed Special Executive Magistrate at Mandir Marg police station, who ordered that their judicial remand be extended by another two days, until October 21.