A man reaches the Mathura civic association office dressed as a cockroach to draw attention to the pollution of the Yamuna

Activist Deepak Sharma at the Mathura civic body office. Source: X/@priyarajputlive

Disgusted by the pollution of the river Yamuna, the man arrived at the Mathura Municipal Corporation office dressed as a cockroach, singing and dancing, much to the amusement of those present.

Dressed in a cockroach costume, social activist Deepak Sharma on Friday (May 23, 2026) warned that the condition of the Yamuna will worsen in the coming days if the issues are not addressed quickly.

Mr. Sharma said he was forced to dress up as a cockroach to open the eyes of “incompetent” officials who were practically turning a blind eye to the pollution of the Yamuna and rampant filth in the city.

Municipality officials did not comment on the incident, which followed the launch of the Swabian Janata Party (CJP). CJP’s satirical social media account launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the “NEET-UG paper leak”.

Launching a campaign demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Please sign the petition: https://t.co/WQ6MbRPTnK#EduMinisterMustResignpic.twitter.com/wdOgSMh9WJ

— The cockroach is back (@Cockroachisback) May 22, 2026

The platform emerged 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 designation of a “senior” lawyer.

The CJI later clarified that his observations on individuals entering the legal profession using “false and bogus degrees” were misquoted. A crowd gathered at the civic body’s office in Mathura to watch Mr Sharma, with many filming on mobile phones.

“We, the people of Braj, perform the ‘aachaman’ ritual of drinking water from the Yamuna. Yet, despite years of promises to make the river pollution-free, nothing has been done. Be it Mathura or Vrindavan, polluted water and sewage from dirty drains can be seen flowing openly into the river. Yet Mr. Sharma turned a blind eye. Mr. Sharma was left in a different situation.

Referring to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, he said: “This Act was enacted specifically to protect rivers from pollution. It clearly states that it is an offense to discharge polluted water or sewage into a river.”

“The Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have also clarified that direct discharge of sewage and diversion of water into any river is an offence.” he added. Mr. Sharma also appealed to the public to join him in filing FIRs against officials who, instead of following the rules, were breaking them themselves. The activist also stood in front of the cars of high-ranking officials in protest.

Published – 23 May 2026 12:07 IST