Cockroach party chief thanks Delhi Ramlila for spotlight on giant insect effigy

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke thanked the organisers of the Pitampura Ramlila for the free publicity they gave his party by planning to burn a 30‑foot cockroach effigy alongside the traditional figures of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad. Dipke said the thanks in a brief statement on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Legal head Ratna Singh called the episode a "tamasha" and warned it could turn into a drama. The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which runs the annual event in Pitampura, said the cockroach figure is meant to stand for filth and dirt and to promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel insisted the move is not political, stating it is meant to show the triumph of good over evil while stressing the need for clean surroundings. The plan arrived as the CJP continued protests in the capital. Earlier the group had demonstrated against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and later joined rallies demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Social‑media users questioned whether the insect effigy fits a religious celebration and suggested the display mixes current politics with the festival’s traditional meaning.

Context

Effigies are a common feature of Ramlila events, used to symbolise the defeat of evil. In recent years, Indian campaigns such as Swachh Bharat have encouraged public symbols that highlight hygiene, which explains the committee’s choice of a cockroach as a visual cue.