Guwahati: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday thanked the organisers of a Delhi Ramlila event for what he called “free publicity” after they announced plans to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna.
“Thank you for the free publicity,” Dipke said. CJP legal head Ratna Singh dismissed the move as a “tamasha” (drama).
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual event in Pitampura, said the cockroach effigy was intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the decision was not politically motivated. He maintained that the effigy was meant to convey the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness.
The development comes amid protests by the CJP in the national capital. The group initially protested against former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan before joining demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar against electoral irregularities.
The proposed effigy has also drawn questions on social media, with some users questioning its appropriateness at a religious celebration and alleging that contemporary political developments were being mixed with the festival’s traditional significance.