AAP leader lodges complaint over Dussehra cockroach effigy burning

Saurabh Bharadwaj, a prominent Aam Aadmi Party leader, has lodged a complaint regarding the incineration of a cockroach effigy during recent Dussehra festivities. The complaint marks an escalation of tensions between the ruling party and opposition over the manner in which the traditional festival was observed.

Organisers of the event defended their choice of effigy, stating that the symbolic burning was intended to raise public awareness about sanitation and hygiene. They argued that the gesture highlighted health hazards posed by cockroach infestations in urban areas, framing the act as a public health consciousness campaign rather than a controversial decision.

The Bharatiya Janata Party swiftly responded to Bharadwaj's complaint, characterising the AAP's action as a distraction from governance issues. BJP representatives deployed the epithet "political termites" in their rebuttal, suggesting that the complaint represented trivial political manoeuvring rather than a legitimate concern.

The incident underscores the intensifying political atmosphere in the region, with rival parties seizing upon cultural and ceremonial events to score political points. Such confrontations during major festivals have become increasingly common, reflecting the broader polarisation in state politics.