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Mathura: Miffed by the pollution in the Yamuna river, a man in Mathura reached the municipal corporation office dressed as a cockroach, singing and dancing, much to the amusement of those present there.

Clad in a cockroach costume, social activist Deepak Sharma warned on Friday, May 22, that if the issues were not addressed promptly, the condition of the Yamuna would worsen in the days to come.

Sharma said 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 of the Yamuna and the rampant filth in the city.

Municipal officials did not comment on the incident, which 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 about “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing on the ‘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 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 also 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.