New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- A 30-foot-tall effigy of a cockroach will be set ablaze alongside the traditional effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during this year's Ramlila celebrations in Delhi, adding a cleanliness message to the annual festival.

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the Ramlila in Pitampura, said the cockroach effigy symbolises filth and dirt. The initiative is intended to promote awareness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel told PTI that the decision was not politically motivated. He said the burning of the effigy was meant to reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness.

Goel added...