Mathura-based activist dons cockroach costume to protest Yamuna pollution

Mathura-based activist Deepak Sharma has drawn attention to Yamuna river pollution by staging a unique protest dressed as a cockroach.

Mathura: The Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical digital outfit that came up last week and took social media by storm, seems to have found an ardent follower in Mathura-based activist Deepak Sharma, who has created a stir in the temple town by dressing as the pest to draw attention to pollution in the Yamuna river.

On Friday, Sharma turned up at the municipal corporation office here dressed as a cockroach, singing and dancing, much to the amusement of those present there.

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On Saturday, Sharma was seen in the same costume, this time inside a drain near the Bihar Ghat in Vrindavan, raising his voice to highlight the plight of the polluted river.

“The river is being poisoned. Why are drains opening into the Yamuna without treatment? I will not stop until the river is cleaned,” Sharma said.

“I even got threatening calls from the municipal corporation office. But I am ready to sacrifice my life for this cause,” he added.

When contacted by PTI, Municipal Commissioner Jag Pravesh said he had invited Sharma for a talk, but he did not turn up.

“My office called Deepak Sharma last evening and again this morning, inviting him for a meeting to listen to his grievances. However, he didn’t turn up. He should have at least met us to put forward his concerns.”

“However, he is welcome to approach us. We will try to resolve his concerns to his satisfaction,” the official added.

On Friday, Sharma had warned that if the issues were not addressed promptly, the condition of the Yamuna would worsen in the days to come.

The activist also said that he was compelled to dress as a cockroach to open the eyes of the “incompetent” officials, who have virtually turned a blind eye to the pollution in the Yamuna and the “rampant filth” in the city.

His unique protest followed the launch of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).

A satirical social media account, the CJP has launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper ‘leak’.

The platform surfaced last week following a controversy over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing on the issue of ‘senior’ designation for a lawyer.

The CJI later clarified that his observations, directed at individuals entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees”, were misquoted.

At the civic body office in Mathura, a crowd gathered to watch Sharma, with many filming him with their mobile phones.

“We, the residents of Braj, perform the ‘aachaman’ ritual of sipping water from the Yamuna. Yet, despite years of promises to rid the river of pollution, nothing has been done.

“Be it Mathura or Vrindavan, polluted water and sewage from filthy drains can be seen flowing openly into the river. Yet, the officials remain indifferent, turning a blind eye to the situation,” Sharma said.

Citing the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, he said, “This law was enacted specifically to protect rivers from pollution. It clearly stipulates that discharging polluted water or sewage into a river constitutes a punishable offence.

“The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have also clarified that direct discharge of sewage and drain water into any river is a criminal act.”

Sharma urged the public to join him in filing FIRs against the officials, who, instead of upholding the rules, were themselves violating them.

The activist also stood in front of the cars of senior officials as a mark of protest.

Taking on the saffron party on the issue of pollution in the Yamuna, Mukesh Dhangar, the Mathura district president of the Congress, on Saturday termed the BJP a “Jumla Party”, saying it won elections on the promise of cleaning the river, but its condition is worsening by the day.

“The BJP used to hold protests against Yamuna pollution when it was not in power, which it forgot after forming the government in Uttar Pradesh,” Dhangar said.

He also challenged BJP leaders to drink water from the Yamuna at the Vishram Ghat.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Narendra Singh, meanwhile, appreciated the fact that young people are raising their voice on serious issues like Yamuna pollution.

Singh also had a piece of advice for Sharma.

“Rather than putting his life in danger by entering drains, he should sit down with the concerned official and raise the issue,” the RLD state unit vice-president said.