‘Clean up Yamuna!’: Man dressed as cockroach demands from Vrindavan officials

Deepak Sharma was also seen on Friday, protesting at Mathura’s municipal corporation office. Pic/X@sirajnoorani

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 Saturday, Sharma was seen dressed as a cockroach, inside a drain near the Bihar Ghat in Vrindavan, raising his voice to highlight the plight of the polluted river.

On Friday, Sharma turned up at the municipal corporation office in Mathura in the same outfit, singing and dancing, much to the amusement of those present there.

"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."

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."

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