A 30-foot cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Pitampura Ramlila in Delhi. Organiser and BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the effigy promotes cleanliness and carries no political message. The announcement comes amid Cockroach Janata Party protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
A 30-foot-tall “cockroach” effigy will go up in flames alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Ramlila in the national capital this year.
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises Ramlila in Pitampura, said the insect represents “filth and dirt” and the initiative is part of the “Swachh Bharat” and “Swachh Delhi” campaigns.
Committee denies political motivation
Ashok Goel, the committee president and a BJP MLA, told PTI that the decision is not politically motivated.
Burning the cockroach effigy is meant to reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil and cleanliness, he said.
The “cockroach” will also feature among the ‘asuras’ in Ravan’s army, Goel said.
Cockroach Janata Party protests in Delhi
The decision comes against the backdrop of the Cockroach Janata Party’s protests in the national capital, first against ex-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and now for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
In June and July, the group sat in protest at Jantar Mantar for over a month and marched to Parliament on July 20, eventually forcing Pradhan to resign as minister.