Delhi Minister burns cockroach effigy on Dussehra, AAP seeks FIR over hurting sentiments

A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy burnt alongside the traditional effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnad during Dussehra celebrations at Pitampura. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)

A war of words broke out between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Capital and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after Delhi minister Kapil Mishra burnt a 30-foot effigy of a cockroach alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during Dussehra celebrations organised by the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee in North West Delhi’s Pitampura on Tuesday.

Delhi AAP unit chief Saurabh Bhardwaj termed the move an example of “cheap politics targeting Gen Z” and said the BJP leader should not use the Hindu religion for political gains. He also said the BJP could not demean thousand-year-old Sanatan traditions by turning them into a joke. “The RSS cannot remain silent on this blasphemy,” Bhardwaj said.

Bhardwaj also filed a complaint, seeking an FIR against Mishra and BJP MLA Ashok Goel Devraha, who was also present at the event, alleging that they had hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by altering Sanatan traditions for political gains and promoting enmity between communities.

MLA & Minister of @BJP4India cannot use my Hindu religion for their cheap politics against GenZ. They cannot demean our thousand years old sanatan customs by making it a joke.

@RSSorg can’t sit quite on this blasphemy.

Have requested @CPDelhi and @LtGovDelhi saab to register FIR against BJP MLA and @KapilMishra_IND for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus by alerting the Sanatan Customs for political gains and promoting enmity hatered between communities and groups.

— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) October 20, 2026

Mishra, Delhi’s Minister for Art, Culture and Language, was invited to attend the Dussehra celebrations in Pitampura. He said Dussehra symbolised the victory of truth over falsehood. He added that no matter how united anti-national forces became, their defeat in India was inevitable. “Look, the effigy of a cockroach is being burnt, and the termites are feeling the pain. A cockroach symbolises filth and anarchy. It emerges from the gutter and eventually returns to it,” Mishra said.

Earlier in the day, Abhijit Dipke, founder of Cockroach Janta Party, which has been protesting against the alleged SIR irregularities, referred to the effigy and said it was “free publicity” for the platform. “Thank you for the free publicity,” Dipke said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, during his Dusshehra address in Pitampura, Mishra further alleged that “those engaged in appeasement politics in the name of jihad, and the corrupt have come together and are conspiring against the country”.“Just as truth triumphs and falsehood is defeated, in keeping with that very tradition, the defeat of any anti-national forces that stand against India is inevitable,” he said.

Describing Vijayadashami as a symbol of the victory of truth, Mishra said the occasion conveyed a message of working in the interest of the nation and society and standing united against negative forces.