Guwahati, Oct. 20 -- Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday thanked the organisers of a Delhi Ramlila event for what he called "free publicity" after they announced plans to burn a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside those of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna.

"Thank you for the free publicity," Dipke said. CJP legal head Ratna Singh dismissed the move as a "tamasha" (drama).

The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual event in Pitampura, said the cockroach effigy was intended to symbolise filth and dirt and promote cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.

Committee president and BJP MLA Ashok Goel said the decision was not politically motivated. He maintained that the eff...