Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty on Sunday claimed that the protest by the CJP and students in Delhi was the beginning of the BJP's "downfall" in the country.

Kunhalikutty, a senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, said that the protest by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and students forced the central government to "bend its knee" before them.

He said that there are several other problems, like price rise, farmers issues and increasing unemployment, plaguing the country, but the central government was ignoring them and focusing on some sensitive issues that suited them.

"This protest has been a blow to that strategy of theirs. This is the beginning of the BJP's downfall in the country. That is what we saw through this protest. They had to completely surrender before it," the minister told reporters.

He further said that the government "surrendered" as they realised that a huge agitation was gathering force against the PM.

The IUML leader was referring to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.

The CJP and students had been protesting to seek his resignation.