30-foot cockroach effigy burnt at Ramlila event in Delhi; AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj files complaint

A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy was reportedly set ablaze alongside traditional figures of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath during Dussehra festivities in northwest Delhi on Tuesday.

While the cockroach effigy, burnt during the Dussehra celebrations organised by the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee, gained massive attention, it also faced backlash from the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a complaint with Delhi Police and Lieutenant Governor (LG) Taranjit Singh Sandhu alleging that the effigy "hurt religious sentiments".

The event hosted at the DDA ground in Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, drew large crowds. In the Dussehra event, the cockroach figure emerged as a central attraction.

The chief guests of the event included BJP Rajya Sabha MP Arun Singh, Delhi Cabinet minister Kapil Mishra and Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna. Singh emphasised that Dussehra was an occasion to reaffirm the values of truth, duty and righteousness. Mishra highlighted the importance of incorporating the lessons of festivals.

According to the organisers, Khanna said cultural events such as Ramlila and Dussehra helped strengthen social unity and preserve India's traditions, the report further said.

BJP's Model Town MLA and the committee president, Ashok Goel Devraha, said the cockroach effigy represented a social problem.

Ashok Goel Devraha, BJP's Model Town MLA and the committee president, said that burning the 30-foot cockroach effigy was intended to raise awareness about filth and the health problems associated with the insect.

"The burning of the cockroach effigy this year was aimed at raising awareness about filth and the health problems associated with it," PTI quoted him as saying.

He also noted that the committee had previously burnt symbolic effigies representing other issues like Naxalism and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clarifying the purpose behind the move, Devraha reportedly stated that the effigy was not intended as a comment on any individual, political party, or organisation.

The leader urged people to view the initiative in the context of its public health message.

The incident drew a sharp backlash from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj, who submitted a complaint to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.

The AAP leader, in a post on X, accused the organisers of hurting religious sentiments and attempting to incite enmity between communities.

"Have requested @CPDelhi and @LtGovDelhi saab to register FIR against BJP MLA and @KapilMishra_IND for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus by alerting the Sanatan Customs for political gains and promoting enmity hatered between communities and groups," Bharadwaj said.