Man in cockroach costume protests Yamuna pollution outside Mathura civic office

Mathura: A Mathura activist donned a cockroach costume and staged a musical protest outside the municipal corporation office on Friday to highlight the worsening pollution of the Yamuna and to chastise local officials for what he called their indifference.

Clad in the insect outfit and singing and dancing, social activist Deepak Sharma told the gathering that he was driven to the stunt to "open the eyes" of what he described as "incompetent" civic authorities who have ignored persistent sewage and industrial discharge into the river. His performance drew a crowd of onlookers, many of whom filmed the protest on their mobile phones.

"We, the residents of Braj, perform the ‘aachaman’ ritual of sipping water from the Yamuna," Sharma said. "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." He urged citizens to file FIRs against officials he accused of violating these laws through inaction.

At one point, the activist stood in front of senior officials' vehicles to intensify his protest. Municipal authorities did not comment on the demonstration.

The (Cockroach Janata Party) CJP account, has campaigned on unrelated issues — including demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over an alleged NEET UG paper leak — surfaced recently after public attention on controversial remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The CJI later said his comments had been misquoted.

Sharma warned that unless immediate measures are taken to stop sewage inflows and clean the river, the Yamuna's condition will deteriorate further — with consequences for public health and the region's cultural and religious life.

(Inputs from PTI)