For much of Narendra Modi¡¯s 12 years ruling India, he¡¯s looked nearly unbeatable at the polls. This weekend he swiftly yielded to a group that didn¡¯t exist a few months ago, energizing opponents who have struggled to gain traction against one of the nation¡¯s most powerful leaders.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday to take accountability for a series of exam scandals in the face of a student protest movement that mobilized thousands of young people in New Delhi and started to spread around India. The Cockroach Janta Party, which formed two months ago as a social media joke, declared victory and called off its demonstrations while vowing more action ¡°to solve all the problems in this country.¡±
It was the first time since Modi took power in 2014 that one of his Cabinet ministers had resigned under public pressure, a sign of the threat posed to the prime minister and the prospects of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He soon faces a key election in Uttar Pradesh, India¡¯s most populous state, where jobs for young people are a major concern for many voters.
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