CJP founder mocks planned cockroach effigy burning in Delhi (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday took a sarcastic swipe at plans to burn a 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy alongside Ravana during Dussehra celebrations in Delhi on October 20, saying, “Thank you for the free publicity.”
The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee plans to burn the cockroach effigy alongside the traditional effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad at its venue in Pitampura. Preparations for the event are underway, with the committee aiming to highlight cleanliness and unhygienic conditions.
The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee said the cockroach had been chosen to represent filth and reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil and denied any political motive.
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The committee has previously burnt effigies representing issues such as Naxalism and terrorism. This year’s initiative focuses on the need to address dirt and unhygienic conditions in homes, neighbourhoods and society.
The planned effigy comes amid the emergence of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party, a movement that gained attention following remarks by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15.
The CJI had compared certain individuals with fraudulent degrees who become social media or RTI activists to “cockroaches” attacking the system.
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The remarks sparked criticism among young people and helped inspire the CJP movement. The CJI later said his oral remarks had been “misquoted” and used with “malicious intent”.
Since its emergence, the CJP has staged protests against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The group is now demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Dipke’s response to the planned effigy burning adds another chapter to the movement’s use of the cockroach symbol in its political messaging.
