U.P.’s ‘cockroach man’ floats CJP spin-off after drawing attention to Yamuna’s plight

Following the popularity of satirical digital movement ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ (CJP), a part-time ‘kathavachak’ from Uttar Pradesh dressed as a cockroach reached Yamuna banks in Mathura on May 22, hoping to draw the attention of authorities to Yamuna pollution.

“After dressing up as a cockroach, I realized the power of the cockroach,” says 30-year-old Deepak Sharma, adding that he received a call from the Mathura municipal commissioner’s office to meet the authorities on the issue.

Mr. Sharma, a social activist and a traditional religious storyteller (kathavachak), has now launched his own ‘CJP’ or Common Justice Platform.

He says he plans to join hands with Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston graduate who founded the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’, “to be in the interest of the country and to make the voice of the youth heard.”

Dipke, a graduate of Boston University’s Public Relations Program, had shared “What if all the cockroaches came together” on X on May 16, hours before the birth of the Cockroach Janata Party, which calls itself “the political front of the youth, by the youth, for the youth.”

Sharma says his ‘CJP’ was formed with the aim of highlighting ‘blatant official apathy’.

“I realized the power of the cockroach when I dressed up as a cockroach to raise the issue of Yamuna pollution. I received a call from the Mathura municipal commissioner’s office to meet the officials, but invited them to the Keshi Ghat of the Yamuna in Mathura to verify the facts,” he said. PTI.

“The main reason behind dressing as a cockroach was to capitalize on the sudden attention focused on the insect to highlight the neglect of the Yamuna river, among other things,” said Mr. Sharma, now referred to by many as the “cockroach man”, adding that as a “Mathura resident” he was appalled by the “official indifference” towards a river revered by Hindus.

State Pollution Control Board’s February 2026 data flagged alarming pollution levels in the Yamuna river at key sites like Keshi Ghat, Vishram Ghat and Gokul Dam (in Mathura).

“While key parameters such as temperature and pH remain within acceptable limits, some critical pollution indicators are far beyond safe standards,” said KP Singh of the Association for Biodiversity Research and Development, which analyzed the samples using official data. The report also found extremely high concentrations of total and fecal coliform bacteria at all locations, indicating serious sewage contamination.

Experts said such conditions not only make water unsafe for human consumption and even risky for bathing without proper purification, but also pose a threat to aquatic biodiversity, allowing only pollution-tolerant species to survive.

Sharma, whose father runs an NGO that caters to monkeys and cows, says his platform has found many buyers in the last few days since its inception.

He said the ID cards he started distributing to volunteers bore a “picture of a cockroach.”

“Already around 800 volunteers have registered with my CJP and all of them are willing to identify themselves as cockroaches to shake up the system,” he said, adding that CJP is an apolitical movement that will reach far beyond UP.

“We do not want to participate in surveys. Our goal is to create a swachh (clean) system,” he said, adding that he had also learned a lot about cockroaches in the last few days.

“These insects are like nature’s scavengers, with sharp reflexes and remarkable survival instincts,” he said.

Mathura resident Naresh Khandelwal is among the many volunteers who have registered with CJP.

“So far I am the only one from my family who has joined this platform, but its popularity is growing and my cousin will also be a part of it soon,” he said.

But not everyone approves of this. Lucknow-based lawyer Ankur Saxena said, “No one wants to have cockroaches in their home. This CJP is being supported by opposition parties to destabilize India.”

Saxena is of the view that platforms like CJP are merely a social media spectacle aimed at inciting people against government policies.

Shekhar Dixit, president of Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, said that farmers can relate to this analogy as their interests are also being trampled on.

“In today’s context, farmers have become like cockroaches. After listening and reading news about cockroaches, I felt that I had effectively been reduced to cockroaches,” he said.

Morcha demands implementation of Swaminathan Committee recommendations.

It was published – 01 June 2026 04:20 IST