The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual Ramlila in Pitampura, said the initiative is aimed at promoting cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns.
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A 30-foot-tall effigy of a cockroach will be burnt alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad during this year's Ramlila celebrations in Delhi, with organisers describing the insect as a symbol of filth and dirt.
The Shree Keshav Ram Leela Committee, which organises the annual Ramlila in Pitampura, said the initiative is aimed at promoting cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns. The cockroach effigy will also be included among the asuras in Ravan's army, according to the committee.
Ashok Goel, president of the committee and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the decision was not politically motivated. He said the burning of the effigy was intended to reinforce the message of the victory of good over evil while highlighting the importance of cleanliness.
The unusual addition to the traditional Ramlila celebrations comes amid protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the national capital. 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, according to the report.
The group has since joined opposition parties and student organisations in demonstrations over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protests have led to the detention of several activists, students and journalists in Delhi.
However, the Ramlila committee has maintained that the cockroach effigy's inclusion is linked to its cleanliness message and the traditional theme of good triumphing over evil.