CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanks Delhi Ramlila organisers for ‘free publicity’ over cockroach effigy

• CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke thanks Delhi Ramlila organisers for what he calls “free publicity”.

• Organisers plan to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran.

• The committee says the effigy represents dirt and promotes cleanliness, denying political motives.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday thanked the organisers of a Ramlila event in Delhi for what he called “free publicity” after they announced plans to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran.

“Thank you for the free publicity,” Dipke said in response to the announcement.

CJP legal head Ratna Singh also reacted to the controversy, describing it as a “tamasha”.

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual event in Pitampura, said the cockroach effigy was intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel maintained that the decision was not politically motivated. He said the effigy was meant to convey the traditional message of the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness.

The development comes amid protests by the CJP in the national capital. The group initially protested against former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan before joining demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed effigy has triggered debate on social media, with some users questioning its appropriateness at a religious celebration and alleging that contemporary political developments were being mixed with the festival's traditional significance.