India’s Cockroach movement cheers exit of education minister

India’s education minister resigned Saturday after weeks of pressure from India’s “Cockroach” movement. The Cockroach Janta party called off its anti-government protests that same day and lauded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as a key victory for its cause. The movement, led by Gen Z students, held Pradhan responsible for leaks in nationwide exams for university seats and government jobs. Millions of students had to retake tests, and the pressure over retesting was linked to at least a dozen suicides, according to the Indian Express.

Following Pradhan’s resignation, a spokesman for the party said the protests were over as talks with the government were happening in good faith, according to the Indian Express.

What were the demands of the party? The Cockroach movement took its name from a judge who labeled unemployed youth in India as cockroaches and parasites. The party led nationwide demonstrations, sit-ins, and hunger strikes as it urged the government to account for its actions. It also asked for broader reforms for the nation’s education system, compensation for families of students who died by suicide, and a commitment to not taking legal action against protesters.

Before Pradhan resigned, he labeled the protesters as a “B team of terrorists.”

Are the protests truly over? On Monday, the party alleged that the government was arresting hundreds of students as they headed home after the protests. Additionally, AK-47 bullets were fired at students in Bihar, according to Rahul Gandhi, India’s main opposition leader in Parliament. Gandhi said that India’s government will often backtrack on its word.