Mathura: A man upset over pollution in the Yamuna river arrived at the municipal corporation office on Friday dressed as a cockroach, singing and dancing, much to the amusement of those present there.
Social activist Deepak Sharma, who was dressed as a cockroach, warned that if these issues were not addressed immediately, the Yamuna condition would worsen in the coming days.
Sharma said he had to dress up as a cockroach to open the eyes of “incompetent” officials, who have practically turned a blind eye to the pollution of the Yamuna river and the rampant filth in the city.
Municipal officials did not comment on the incident that followed the launch of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). On a satirical social media account, the CJP launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the “leak” of the NEET-UG paper.
The platform came into being last week after a controversy over remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant about “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a court hearing on the appointment of a “senior” advocate.
The CJI later clarified that his remarks, directed at individuals entering the legal profession using “fake and bogus degrees”, had been distorted.
At the civic body office in Mathura, a crowd of people gathered to watch Sharma, many of them filming on their mobile phones.
“We, the people of Braj, perform the ‘achaman’ ritual of drinking water from the Yamuna. However, despite years of promises to rid the river of pollution, nothing has been done. Be it Mathura or Vrindavan, polluted water and sewage from dirty drains can be seen flowing openly into the river. However, officials remain indifferent, turning a blind eye to the situation,” Sharma said.
Citing the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, he said: “This Act has been specifically enacted to protect rivers from pollution. It clearly states that discharging polluted water or sewage into a river constitutes a punishable offence.”
“The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have also made it clear that direct discharge of sewage and discharge of water into any river is a criminal act.”
Sharma also urged the public to join him in filing FIRs against officials who instead of adhering to the rules, were themselves violating them.
The activist also stood in front of the cars of senior officials as a sign of protest.
