Delhi’s Dussehra Twist: 30-Foot Cockroach Effigy To Go Up In Flames Alongside Ravan This Year

A 30-foot cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at Delhi's Ramlila to promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat campaign.

Delhi’s annual Ramlila celebrations will feature an unusual addition this year, with a 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy set to be burnt alongside the traditional figures of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad.

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the event in Pitampura, has included the insect in the celebrations as a symbol of dirt and uncleanliness. Organisers said the initiative aims to promote cleanliness and support the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel told PTI that the decision was not politically motivated. He said the burning of the cockroach effigy was intended to highlight the victory of good over evil while spreading awareness about cleanliness.

Goel also said the cockroach would be represented as one of the asuras in Ravan’s army.

Cockroach Effigy Comes Amid CJP Protests

The decision comes against the backdrop of protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi. The group initially held demonstrations against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and has now joined calls for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In June and July, CJP members staged a protest at Jantar Mantar that continued for more than a month. The group also marched towards Parliament on July 20, after which Pradhan resigned as minister.

The party has since returned to the streets, joining opposition parties and student organisations in protests demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The demonstrations in Delhi led to the detention of several activists, students and journalists.