Stories
Delhi Ramlila to burn 30-foot cockroach effigy amid CJP protests
- •A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad at a Ramlila event in Delhi's Pitampura.
- •The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee stated that the effigy symbolises filth and dirt to promote the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
- •Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel denied any political motivation behind the inclusion of the insect effigy.
- •The announcement coincides with ongoing demonstrations by the Cockroach Janata Party over government accountability and electoral issues.
- •The CJP movement emerged earlier this year following remarks comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and has since led various protests in the capital.
Key Questions Answered
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee is burning a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside Ravan in Pitampura to symbolize "filth and dirt" and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel stated the display has no political motivation and also depicts the insect as an asura in Ravan's army.
The youth-led movement emerged after Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed young people to cockroaches, a term the protest group subsequently adopted. The movement later gained national attention by organizing demonstrations over examination irregularities, paper leaks, and government accountability.
CJP protesters have shifted their focus to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Demonstrators claim the process has resulted in the deletion of eligible voters' names, prompting protests that led to security restrictions and detentions in October.
