A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy installed in Delhi’s Pitampura ahead of Dussehra is set to be burnt alongside the traditional figures of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad. The installation has drawn attention as the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) continues its protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The CJP’s leaders have responded to the effigy on social media. Party leader Abhijeet Dipke described the development as “free publicity”, while legal head Ratna Singh remarked, “Tamasha Kara lo bas is desh mein” (Just keep putting on a spectacle in this country).
Several social media users connected the proposed burning of the cockroach figure with the Dussehra theme of the victory of good over evil. Others questioned whether the effigy was appropriate for a festival traditionally associated with the burning of Ravana and the triumph of virtue.
The Shree Keshav Ramlila Committee, which erected the structure, has denied that it was intended as a political statement. Committee president and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashok Goel said the cockroach symbolises filth and dirt, and that its burning is meant to support cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
“Our goal is to eliminate filth from three areas: our homes, our immediate surroundings and society at large,” Goel said.
He said the committee had used additional effigies in earlier years to draw attention to social concerns, including Naxalism and terrorism.
Why the CJP is protesting
The Cockroach Janata Party has held demonstrations in the national capital over several issues. Its initial protests were directed at former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, after which the group joined calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP members held a protest at Jantar Mantar for more than a month in June and July before marching towards Parliament on July 20. The group has subsequently participated in demonstrations with opposition parties and student organisations over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls.
The protests have resulted in the detention of several activists, students and journalists in Delhi.
Despite the committee’s explanation that the effigy represents the campaign against dirt and uncleanliness, its placement has led to speculation about a possible political message because of the CJP’s recent activities.
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