Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 15: A 30-foot-tall cockroach effigy will be burnt alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during a Ramlila celebration in the national capital this year, with organisers saying the initiative aims to promote cleanliness and reinforce the message of good triumphing over evil.

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the Ramlila in Pitampura, said the cockroach symbolises filth and dirt. The initiative is part of the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the decision was not politically motivated. He said burning the effigy was intended to spread awareness about cleanliness and convey the message of the victory of good over evil. The cockroach will also feature among the asuras in Ravan's army, he added.

The decision comes amid protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in Delhi. The group had earlier staged demonstrations against former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and has now joined protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In June and July, CJP members staged a protest at Jantar Mantar for more than a month and marched towards Parliament on July 20, eventually leading to Pradhan's resignation as minister, according to the report.

The group has returned to the streets, joining opposition parties and student organisations in demonstrations over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The protesters are demanding Kumar's resignation.

The demonstrations in Delhi have resulted in the detention of several activists, students and journalists.