'Cockroaches won': India's education minister resigns after

India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday he has resigned from his position, handing a major victory to youth protesters nationwide who demanded that he quit taking responsibility for examination paper leaks.

India’s biggest street protests of recent years had become a political flashpoint, posing one of the biggest challenges to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as opposition politicians joined youths’ calls to demand action and disrupted parliament.

The minister announced his resignation on X just as police fired tear gas to disperse young protesters in Delhi, hours before their leaders were set to hold another round of talks with ministers to push for the move.

In a two-page statement shared on X, Pradhan said he has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Considering the situation that has developed at Jantar Mantar and across the country — that anti-national forces should not take advantage of this situation, that the unity of the country should be preserved, that not even a single Indian student’s future should get entangled in legal complications, and that our children should devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers — I have sent my resignation to the honorable prime minister,” The Times of India quoted the letter as stating.

The self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) youth movement, which has been at the helm of the protests, welcomed the resignation by stating on its X account, “Cockroaches won.. Democracy won!”

“We have done it,” said CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke to loud cheers at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi.

However, he added, “We have two more demands. We won’t go like this.”

Dipke demanded that the families of all students who reportedly took their own lives after the exam leak should receive 10 million Indian rupees in compensation.

“This [resignation] is for them,” he saidpointing towards a banner with the pictures of 20 students whom activists say died following the exam leak.

Secondly, he demanded that action be taken against police officials involved in the July 20 crackdown on protesters. “Remember, do not mess with cockroach,” he cautioned.

Dipke also called for all cases registered against students to be withdrawn.

“We are cockroaches. Once it enters, it does not leave,” he quipped.

Another post by CJP listed three demands as “pending”, with the third being a public apology from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police.

Dipke also urged his supporters not to turn him into a “hero” because of Pradhan’s resignation.

“Do not make this mistake. Do not make me a hero because of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The country has been ruined because of making one person a hero.”

He further said“When we rise above Hindu and Muslim politics and talk about issues, then it will be good for the country.”

Supporters of the “cockroach” movement had been protesting since June, but anger boiled over since police on Monday injured dozens of students, launching baton charges and firing tear gas to deter crowds of protesters marching on parliament.

Youth celebrates

Protesters continuing their sit-in at Jantar Mantar, the same site of Monday’s police crackdown, erupted in joy after Pradhan’s announcement.

They shouted “Jai Hind”, a patriotic slogan meaning “Victory to India”, as the national anthem played on loudspeakers and sweets were distributed among the crowd. At least 1,000 police officials stood nearby guarding the area, according to Reuters journalists at the site.

The protests also reflected anger over job scarcity, corruption and government accountability.

“Young generation is here. This is a win for the constitution, protester Tluanga Ralte said, walking with a copy of the Indian constitution at the protest site after the minister’s resignation.

“We are not a lazy generation.”

Federal authorities even on Saturday restricted access to the internet and to 18 metro stations to try to limit the protest in the capital, the latest day of such restrictions.

Students, youth activists and opposition supporters had in recent days staged protests in the states of West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, holding placards demanding Pradhan’s resignation and boycotting classes in some places.