'Wipe Out Filth': How BJP Demonised Protesters With Cockroach Effigy on Dussehra

BJP leaders branded protesters as 'filth' at Delhi's Dussehra event, burnt a cockroach effigy amid growing dissent.

'Eradicate Filth': How BJP Demonised Protesters With Cockroach Effigy on Dussehra

(Photo: The Quint)

"I welcome the decision of the Keshav Ramlila Committee to burn the cockroach effigy here. What is this cockroach? It's a symbol of anarchy, filth, 'laal salaam', Naxalism, jihadism, appeasement, traitors, and the corrupt who have united against the nation. The way we burn the effigy of Ravana to eradicate evil, the cockroach symbolises the ideologies that we need to eradicate," said Kapil Mishra, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Cabinet Minister in the Delhi government, as he addressed hundreds of people at a Dussehra event at the DDA grounds in Delhi's Pitampura on Tuesday, 20 October.

Right across from the stage stood four towering effigies, ready to be set ablaze: Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Meghnad, and a 30-foot cockroach.

Repeatedly labelled a "symbol of filth" by Mishra and other speakers on stage, the cockroach effigy had already sparked controversy in the run-up to the event. The Ramlila, organised by the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee, headed by BJP's Model Town MLA Ashok Goel Devraha, had been in the news for the past week after the organisers announced their decision to burn an effigy of the insect.

(Photo/The Quint/enhanced using AI)

Over the past several weeks, in particular, the national capital has witnessed a showdown between protesting groups and the state, with demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and raising objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

While Devraha maintained that the cockroach was being burnt as a "symbol of filth" and to promote cleanliness, the choice of effigy appeared to be a clear reference to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other groups that have been organising protests in the national capital and several other cities over the past few months. The speeches delivered by BJP leaders from the stage only reinforced this political reading of the event.

'Need to Eradicate Cockroach Mentality'

The DDA grounds in Pitampura were packed with people, while the venue itself was decked out with banners celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's achievements and the government's milestones.

There were also selfie points featuring BJP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP president Nitin Nabin. Other attractions at the venue included a dedicated exhibition showcasing Modi's political career, a BRICS-themed installation, and a NaMo Cafe.

Apart from Mishra, the event also saw BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Arun Singh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Kapil Khanna in attendance. Over the course of the 10-day-long celebrations, scores of BJP leaders, lawmakers, and leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had visited the venue.

(Photo: The Quint)

Among those who attended the celebrations over the preceding days were Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi; Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram; Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Delhi Cabinet Minister; Swati Maliwal, Rajya Sabha MP; Ravinder Singh Negi, BJP MLA from Patparganj; Shikha Rai, BJP MLA from Greater Kailash; Satya Sharma, Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD); Darshana Jardosh, Co-in-charge of the Delhi BJP; Kiran Chopra, Director of Punjab Kesari; and Adesh Gupta, former President of the Delhi BJP, among others.

According to Devraha's own account, his family has been organising the 10-day Ramlila at the same venue for over 15 years.

Even though the organisers maintained that the burning of the cockroach effigy was "not political", the speeches from the stage suggested otherwise.

"Cockroaches are being talked about in the whole country, they are spreading uncleanliness. When our committee took the decision to burn the effigy of a cockroach and I told Kapil ji (Mishra) about it, he said he will definitely come. Kapil is known to be a saviour of Hindutva, he is our firebrand leader. He is a cabinet minister in the Delhi government and plays an important role in decisions of the government," said Devraha, heaping praise on Mishra.

Mishra, too, repeated his earlier 'definition' of a cockroach twice, underlining the political significance he attached to the effigy.

(Photo/The Quint/enhanced using AI)

"These are forces against the country whose ideologies need to be eradicated."

Singh echoed the sentiment.

"If we are burning a cockroach as a symbol of filth, nobody should have a problem with that. If someone has named themselves cockroaches, what can we do about that? Cockroaches symbolise filth and we need to make a resolve to eradicate that this Vijayadashami," Singh said.

Bhagwat's New Playbook

The statements made from the stage echoed a 'new narrative' articulated by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in his annual Vijayadashami address on Tuesday.

Referring to the wave of protests witnessed in recent months, Bhagwat warned of a "western storm that seeks to dismantle cultures across the world" and asserted that the country must be protected from "agitations that divide."

Bhagwat argued that those opposing the government see "changing the regime" as a solution, but that a change in government alone would not resolve the underlying problems.

Citing recent agitations in different parts of the world, he said: "Look at the news that has been coming since the last few days, what is happening in France, what is happening in Albania. What happened in Bangladesh, what happened in Nepal, all this is their doing."

(Photo/The Quint/enhanced using AI)

Bhagwat's remarks appeared to mark a shift in the Sangh's approach towards the protesters, particularly when compared with its response during the initial rounds of protests against Pradhan led by the CJP. At the time, voices within the Sangh had urged the government to "listen to the youth", while sections of the wider Sangh ecosystem had also questioned the heavy-handed use of force against protesters on 20 July.

Now, however, the emphasis appeared to have shifted towards warnings about divisive agitations and foreign influence.

The narrative of 'foreign forces at play' found an echo at the Ramlila event on 20 October.

"The whole country knows that the stronger we get as a nation, the traitors the insects, will start scurrying out of their holes more and more," said Kapil Mishra.

"The more India progresses, the bigger the schemes against it will get. India getting stronger is a worry of the biggest world leaders. They think if India gets stronger, the Sanatani force will get stronger in the world," he added.

Other speakers from the stage echoed the sentiment, portraying those they considered opposed to the nation as forces that needed to be confronted.

Devraha, meanwhile, also took a swipe at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, who had submitted a written complaint to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi Police Commissioner over the burning of the cockroach effigy at the event.

The complaint named Devraha, Mishra and other organisers of the Ramlila event. Bharadwaj alleged that the organisers had deliberately hurt religious sentiments, altered Hindu religious traditions and attempted to promote enmity between communities.

"I was told that as Kapil Mishra ji set out to come to this event today, Saurabh Bhardwaj set out to file an FIR against us for burning a cockroach effigy. Even if he files 100 FIRs against us, we will eradicate filth from Delhi. He can't stop us," Devraha said.