New Delhi
oi-Gaurav Sharma
A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy turned into a political issue after it was burnt along with the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnath during Dussehra celebrations in north-west Delhi on Tuesday. The Aam Aadmi Party accused the organisers of hurting religious sentiments.
The cockroach effigy was burnt at the DDA ground in Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, during the festival. The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee, which organises Dussehra at this venue, drew a huge crowd.
A 30-foot cockroach effigy burnt during Dussehra in north-west Delhi’s Pitampura sparked controversy, with AAP accusing BJP MLA Ashok Goel Devraha of hurting religious sentiments, while organizers cited insect menace awareness.
Why Was the Cockroach Effigy Burnt?
BJP Model Town MLA and Ramlila committee president Ashok Goel Devraha said the organisers made the cockroach effigy to draw attention to the menace of the insects and the filth they spread.
“The idea was to sensitize people about the filth and the unhygienic conditions they cause,” said BJP MLA Ashok Goel Devraha, quoted by PTI. “We have already burnt effigies of Naxalites and Corona before, but this cockroach effigy had nothing to do with any community or political party. People must understand it.”
Saurabh Bharadwaj Approaches Delhi Police, LG
AAP’s Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj complained to Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu over the cockroach effigy.
In a post on X, he called upon the police to register an FIR against BJP MLA Ashok Goel Devraha and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra for hurting Hindu religious sentiments and inciting communal disharmony.
The Aam Aadmi Party alleges that the effigy insulted Hindu beliefs and was a provocative act that could lead to tensions between different religious groups.
BJP Leaders Attend Dussehra Celebrations
BJP Rajya Sabha member Arun Singh, Delhi Cabinet minister Kapil Mishra, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna were among the leaders who turned up for the event.
Speaking at the function, BJP MLA Arun Singh said that Dussehra was a festival that preached the message of truth, duty, and righteousness. Delhi minister Kapil Mishra said that people must strive to imbibe the values enshrined in our traditions and cultures and that Ramlila and Dussehra celebrations played a special role in this.
Meanwhile, VHP’s Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna said that Dussehra and Ramlila celebrations were an opportunity to promote social harmony and carry forward India’s cultural heritage.
