For Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-foot cockroach effigy, seen on social media as a slight against the Cockroach Janta Party, was just “free publicity” for his pressure group.
On Tuesday, the huge cardboard cockroach stood alongside the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad, and Kumbhakarna — all waiting to go up in flames, representing the victory of good over evil. While the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee in Pitampura maintained that the cockroach symbolised filth and sought to promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns, Dipke appeared convinced that it was a dig at the pressure group.
“Thank you for the free publicity,” he wrote on X, sharing a video of the cardboard cockroach.
Thank you for the free publicity.
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 20, 2026
CJP legal head Ratna Singh also reacted to the development on X, describing it as a “tamasha”.
“Burning a cockroach effigy on Dussehra only shows how rattled the ruling party is… Good to know we are making enough of an impact for you to see us as competition,” she said.
READ | Abhijeet Dipke Released After Signing ‘Peace Bond’ On Court Orders
“Clearly, we are doing something right. Give your IT cell some time off as well. You must be tired after all this (useless) hard work,” she added.
In the evening, the 30-ft cockroach effigy burned alongside those of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and son Meghnad at the DDA ground in Netaji Subhash Place.
BJP’s Model Town MLA Ashok Goel Devraha, who is also the committee’s president, said the effigy represented a social problem.
“The burning of the cockroach effigy this year was aimed at raising awareness about filth and the health problems associated with it,” he said, adding that cockroaches are associated with unhygienic conditions and can contribute to problems such as allergies and asthma.
He claimed that the cockroach was not intended as a dig at any individual, political party, institution, or organisation.
Several BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Arun Singh, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna, attended the event.
Dipke has been in and out of detention this month because of the pressure group’s agitation.
READ | In Abhijeet Dipke’s Message To “Cockroaches”, Pause In Protests And A “Real Leaders” Reveal
Saurabh Das and Ashutosh Ranka, the group’s spokespeople, have been in jail since October 13 for violating a peace bond. On Monday, their five-day judicial custody was extended by two days.
“And I am sure that things are as difficult for all of you as they are for Saurav and Ashu (Ashutosh Ranka). I have seen how many volunteers have been beaten up on the streets and detained. But it is more difficult for our families than for us. So now I request all my cockroaches: Spend time with your families for a few days. Festivals are around the corner,” the CJP founder said in a video.
With inputs from PTI
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