Stalin, EPS engage in verbal battle over NEET

Stalin, EPS engage in verbal battle over NEET

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:14.09.2021

Holding the previous AIADMK regime responsible for introducing NEET in Tamil Nadu, chief minister M K Stalin on Monday said 15 students, including Dhanush of Salem, had ended their lives apprehensive about the entrance test.

The state government had kept this in mind while introducing the bill to provide admissions based on class 12 board examinations. Later, Leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters that DMK was responsible for the suicide of the NEET aspirant in Salem.

The assembly saw heated exchanges between Stalin and Palaniswami before the bill was introduced.

EPS pointed out that NEET exemption was DMK’s poll promise and the party had promised to fulfill it soon after assuming charge. “The students could not prepare for the competitive exam with DMK leaders making continuous assertions about NEET exemption,” the former CM said, before walking out in protest along with AIADMK legislators. Certain remarks by EPS on the Salem student’s suicide were expunged by the speaker.

Stalin said many students, including Anitha, had ended their lives during the AIADMK regime. A bill passed unanimously under the previous regime to exempt the state from NEET was rejected too. “The AIADMK government hid the rejection of the bills by the President. The leader of opposition was the CM then. The student, Dhanush, could not pass NEET twice when you (EPS) were the CM,” Stalin said.

The CM said the AIADMK was an ally of the NDA government at the Centre and could have laid down a condition to its ally that it would support the CAA and farm laws only if the state was exempted from NEET. The AIADMK did not have the courage to do it. “Had it been done; the state could have been exempted. But the AIADMK maintained a stony silence when students were coming suicide,” Stalin said.

In the afternoon, when the bill was taken up for consideration and passage, Palaniswami said the party welcomed the legislation. The present bill only additionally mentioned justice A K Rajan committee’s recommendations and the minister should explain whether the state could pass a bill against the Centre’s legislation, EPS said. The Supreme Court already passed judgments against NEET, he added.