30-foot cockroach effigy to burn alongside Raavan's at Ramlila Maidan amid CJP protest

Delhi's Ramlila will have an unusual addition to its annual spectacle this year: a 30-foot cockroach joining Ravan's army before being consigned to flames, as the CJP's cockroach-themed protests put the insect in the spotlight for an entirely different reason.

In Short

• Organisers say initiative supports Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns
• Ashok Goel denied political motives, invoking good's triumph over evil
• Dipke called for Tricolour gatherings after two leaders entered Tihar

As the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) takes to the streets of Delhi demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, a 30-foot-tall cockroach is set to go up in flames alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Ramlila in the capital this year, with organisers saying the insect represents filth and dirt and its burning will drive home the message of cleanliness.

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual Ramlila in Pitampura, said the initiative was part of the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel said that the decision was not politically motivated, adding that the effigy would reinforce the message of good triumphing over evil.

The cockroach will also feature among the 'asuras' in Ravan's army, Goel said.

The unusual addition comes amid protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the national capital.

The CJP, which earlier protested against former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has now joined opposition parties and student organisations demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The CJP’s latest protest call has taken an unusual turn, with founder Abhijeet Dipke urging people to gather with the national flag at Connaught Place’s Central Park on October 16, after two of the outfit’s leaders were sent to Tihar Jail.

Framing the demonstration as a defence of the right to fly the Tricolour, Dipke has also called on people unable to reach Delhi to organise flag marches in their own cities.

The call has prompted heightened security arrangements in the capital. Several companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed, with heavy security planned around Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to stop the proposed protest, while police said arrangements were being made to maintain law and order.

The latest mobilisation follows a dramatic episode on October 10, when Delhi Police boarded an Air India flight from Mumbai shortly after it landed in the capital and detained Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.

The three were taken away from the aircraft before they could reach the planned protest site, Jantar Mantar. Days later, Das and Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail over allegations of violating bond conditions and trespassing at Jantar Mantar.

CJP’s earlier protests in June and July included a month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and a march to Parliament on July 20, which eventually led to Pradhan’s resignation.

The latest demonstrations have also seen activists, students and journalists detained as authorities stepped up security to prevent protesters from reaching the designated sites.

Notably, CJP was formed as a satirical protest movement after CJI’s remark comparing unemployed young people to “cockroaches” sparked an online backlash. Reclaiming the insect as a symbol of dissent, the outfit turned the remark into a campaign highlighting unemployment, examination irregularities and government accountability.

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