In Delhi, 'Lal Hit Janta Party' members burnt effigies of Rahul Gandhi, Dhruv Rathee, and others, calling them 'anti-nationals'. Separately, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a complaint against a Ramlila committee for a planned cockroach effigy.
Group Burns Effigies of Rahul Gandhi, Others
Amid the celebrations of Dusshera, individuals who call themselves members of "Lal Hit Janta Party" burned effigies of Cockroach Janata Party activists and others at the Preet Vihar-Chitra Vihar red light in East Delhi. The effigies include Abhijit Dipke, Saurabh Das, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AISA president Neha Bora, actors Naseeruddin Shah and Prakash Raj and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee. "These people are all 'anti-nationals.' They have no faith in democracy, the Chief Election Commission, the police, the Chief Justice of India, or any government institution. They want the country to be run solely through protests and agitation. They have become obsessed—driven by a desire for 'regime change'—with somehow seizing power and becoming the Prime Minister," a member of "Lal Hit Janta Party" said.
Controversy Erupts Over 'Cockroach' Effigy
Meanwhile, the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee is set to burn a unique 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside the traditional effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad.
Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said he has filed a complaint with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the Delhi Police Commissioner against the organisers of the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee (NSP, Pitampura), including its president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel, and Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra over the planned burning of a cockroach effigy alongside Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad on Dussehra.
In a post on X, Bharadwaj accused the organisers of "deliberately hurting religious sentiments, altering sacred Hindu traditions and attempting to incite enmity between communities." He also demanded immediate removal of the "offensive content" from media platforms.
"I have requested to register FIR, however, if it does not happen, we will move Court," he said.
Artisan and Organiser Speak Out
Artisan Shahwez Khan, who is crafting the effigies, said his family has been making effigies since the time of his grandfather and great-grandfather. "We make effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad. This year, there will be a new addition, an effigy of a cockroach," Khan told ANI.
He said it takes about 3-4 days to complete a single cockroach effigy, while the traditional effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad take an entire month to complete.
Earlier, Ashok Goel Devaraha, president of the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee and Model Town MLA, said the decision was taken to highlight the "need to eliminate filth" from homes, neighbourhoods and society at large.
Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Devaraha said, "Well, the festival of Vijayadashami is celebrated with great enthusiasm across the entire country. It symbolises the triumph of truth over falsehood, good over evil, and righteousness (dharma) over unrighteousness (adharma). For thousands of years, we have been burning the effigies of Ravana, Meghnada, and Kumbhakarna; this conveys the message that, in the end, truth always prevails."
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