Story perspectives

Police Complaint Filed Over Cockroach Effigy On Dussehra

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 4:52 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Effigy Sparks Religious Backlash

The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee in Pitampura, Delhi, will burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy with Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad on Dussehra, 20 October 2026.
Coverage highlights public backlash, with critics saying the effigy could offend religious sentiment and threaten communal harmony.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a police complaint alleging the display hurts religious sentiments.
BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the plan is non-political, intended to support Swachh Bharat cleanliness.

Right

Fasttrack Effigy Mocked

The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee in Pitampura, Delhi will burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy with Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad on Dussehra, 20 October 2026.
It was assembled in three to four days, whereas traditional effigies normally take about a month.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke mocked the plan as free publicity.
Committee president BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the initiative is not politically motivated.

Blindspot

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a police complaint saying the 30-foot cockroach effigy hurts religious sentiments and could disturb communal harmony.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

On 6 December 1992, the VHP-BJP rally of about 150,000 people demolished the 16th-century Babri Masjid, sparking riots that killed roughly 2,000 people across India. The episode entrenched communal sensitivities, and in 2026 the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee’s plan to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy during Dussehra prompted AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj and BJP MLA Ashok Goel to warn of renewed sectarian tension.

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Effigy Sparks Religious Backlash

The Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee in Pitampura, Delhi, will burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy with Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad on Dussehra, 20 October 2026.
Coverage highlights public backlash, with critics saying the effigy could offend religious sentiment and threaten communal harmony.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a police complaint alleging the display hurts religious sentiments.
BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the plan is non-political, intended to support Swachh Bharat cleanliness.

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