“I have sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister,” D. Pradhan said in a statement posted on social network “X”.
The “Cockroach People’s Party” (Cockroach Janta Party, CJP), which uses social media, led student protests that arose in response to exam paper leaks and seeks systemic reforms of the education system.
Demonstrations near the ancient Jantar Mantar observatory in central New Delhi intensified over the week and began to spread to other parts of the country.
This week, police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters attempting to march to parliament.
The government held two rounds of talks with CJP leaders on Monday and Friday, but there has been little progress, with the youth-led movement sticking to its demands ahead of another proposed meeting on Saturday.
D. Pradhan announced his resignation before that long-awaited third round of talks.
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“It pains me to see the events of the last 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me,” he said in his letter. “The power of India’s youth is the true strength of this nation. My resolve is that we will not allow the country’s youth to fall into a vicious cycle of confusion.”
After D. Pradhan’s announcement, protesters erupted in joy.
“We did it,” said CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, receiving a thunderous reaction from hundreds of protesters.
The movement evolved to include concerns about unemployment, opportunities for youth, and what critics call the increasingly authoritarian governing style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protests have become one of the biggest challenges to Hindu nationalist N. Modi’s administration since his re-election in 2024.
Other demands from protesters include compensation for those affected by exam irregularities and the dropping of legal cases against protesters, said CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka.
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