'Cockroach' protest in India to end after minister quits

India's "cockroach" party has said it was ending its youth-led protests in New Delhi after the government "accepted" all its demands, a spokesperson for the movement said.

"All our demands have been accepted, so we request the protesters to withdraw immediately and return home peacefully," Ashutosh Ranka, spokesperson of the social-media driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said after meeting government ministers.

It comes as Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said he had resigned this morning, handing a major victory to the protesters who had demanded that he quit to take responsibility for examination paper leaks.

The minister announced his resignation on X earlier today, just as police fired tear gas to scatter young protesters in New Delhi.

"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 the Prime Minister," ‌Mr Pradhan wrote in his post.

"I deeply respect the aspirations, feelings, and legitimate expectations of the ⁠country's youth."

Cheers erupted among the thousands of supporters of the CJP ‌who had been rallying in central Delhi and elsewhere as ⁠the news ‌spread.

Federal authorities had restricted access to the internet and to 18 metro stations to try to limit the protest in the capital.

Anger had boiled ⁠over since Monday when police injured many students, launching baton charges ⁠and firing tear gas to deter crowds of protesters marching on parliament.

The protests, led largely by young people and triggered by discontent over leaks of question papers for high-stakes entrance exams, reflect anger over job scarcity, corruption and government accountability.