NEET row: Stalin slams Amit Shah, to hold all-party meet on Saturday

Shah’s refusal to meet people’s representatives goes against the ethos of democracy, the CM said.

Published: 07th January 2022 05:43 AM  |   Last Updated: 07th January 2022 05:43 AM-

Chief Minister MK Stalin addresses the Assembly in Chennai on Thursday | Express

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for refusing an audience to a delegation of MPs from TN over the NEET issue, and said representatives of legislative parties in the State Assembly will meet on January 8 to decide the next step to get the State exemption from the exam.

Shah’s refusal to meet people’s representatives goes against the ethos of democracy, the CM said. Making a suo motu statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, Stalin said the DMK has maintained that NEET would affect students of disadvantaged sections, and admission to colleges should only be based on Class 12 marks.

This was why the government headed by M Karunanidhi scrapped State-level entrance exams in 2007, the CM said, and pointed out, that by introducing NEET, the Centre had snatched the State’s powers to admit students to State-run colleges.

Will join DMK in fight to nix NEET, but prep students for test: AIADMK

Stress ing that the Assembly had unanimously passed a bill scrapping NEET, the CM said the TN Governor has not forwarded it to President Ram Nath Kovind. A delegation of all-party MPs from the State had submitted a memorandum to the President explaining the troubles faced by students due to NEET. The President’s office forwarded the memorandum to the Union Home Minister for further action.

Stalin said the history of Dravidian movements reveal struggles for establishing the rights of the States, and that efforts to scrap NEET should be treated as the next phase of the social justice movement. “We will fight this battle without compromising our stand,” he added.

The AIADMK said it was ready to join hands with the DMK to scrap NEET but questioned the DMK government as to whether it can succeed in getting exemption for TN . Equipping students to face NEET by providing appropriate training is the need of the hour, the principal opposition party said.

Participating in a discussion on motion to thank Governor’s address, senior AIADMK leader R Vaithilingam said, “Former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami took efforts to scrap NEET. Since it did not work, he provided 7.5 per cent reservation for government school students. If you are ready to meet the PM and agitate in this regard, the AIADMK is also ready.

But we have to ponder over whether scrapping of NEET is practically possible. Vaithilingam also recalled the remarks of DMK leaders during Assembly polls about the party having a strategy to scrap NEET . Vaithilingam said the previous AIADMK regime had handled the first wave of the pandemic efficiently and the DMK government has handled the second wave well.