The education minister in India, Dharmendra Pradhan, has resigned, handing a big victory to youth protesters nationwide who had demanded that he quit to take responsibility for a series of examination paper leaks.
Pradhan announced his resignation on X on Saturday just as police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators in New Delhi, hours before their leaders were set to hold another round of talks with federal ministers.
“Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation … I have sent my resignation letter to Prime Minister [Narendra Modi],” Pradhan wrote in his post.
“I deeply respect the aspirations, feelings, and legitimate expectations of the country’s youth.”
Pradhan stated that he did not want to allow tens of thousands of students calling for his resignation to be taken advantage of by “anti-national forces.” He said he did not want to see pupils become “entangled in legal complexities” instead of studying and building their careers.
As word spread of Pradhan’s resignation, thousands of protesters in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and elsewhere erupted in cheers.
The demonstrators are members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a political satire movement founded to vent the frustration of India’s youth, many of whom believe Modi and his government have failed them.
Anger has escalated as police used baton charges, tear gas, and pellet guns to disperse demonstrators marching on parliament on Monday.
In a post on X, the CJP said, “Cockroaches won… Democracy won!”
A second round of meetings between senior members of the organization and the administration was scheduled for Saturday. It is unclear if the meeting will still take place.
On Friday, talks were also held, with the administration requesting a deadline of Saturday afternoon to react to Pradhan’s resignation request.
The organization also demands that no protesters face criminal charges and that families of students who committed suicide as a result of the paper leaks receive compensation.
The protests, one of the most conspicuous manifestations of public discontent against Modi’s government in recent years, highlighted growing dissatisfaction with job insecurity, corruption, and government accountability.
