Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has given a call to defeat the evil symbolised by Ravana, personified today by pollution and coronavirus.

The Deputy Chief Minister said “Dussehra is not just a festival but it also symbolises a battleground against the evils of today. “We must resolve to defeat today's evils pollution and corona,” he said.

Sisodia said this during the celebration of Dussehra at his residence, with a symbolic burning of a Ravana effigy. The famous Luv-Kush Ramlila Committee, which burns Ravana effigy every year at Red Fort, organised an eco-friendly symbolic event this year because of the on-going corona and pollution crisis.

During this time, Sisodia performed a symbolic destruction of Ravana by shooting arrows at the effigy. The effigy and its destruction was purely for symbolism as no cracker was burnt.

On this occasion, Luv-Kush Ramlila Committee - Red Fort Committee’s General Secretary Arjun Kumar, Leela Mantri Ankush Aggarwal and Chamber Of Trade & Industry (CTI) Chairman Brijesh Goyal were also present.

Sisodia congratulated the Luv-Kush Ramlila Committee for setting an example of how to celebrate a pollution-free Dussehra this year - by not burning any Ravana effigies. He said that we will also have to take a pledge to celebrate a green, cracker-free and pollution-free Diwali this year.

Sisodia said, “In our daily lives, particularly in cities, we contribute to pollution through our use of vehicular transport and other unavoidable means. But now we have to take a pledge to pollute as little as possible by acting responsibly in areas where we have choices.”