Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Aadhav Arjuna, has slammed the Centre over the police crackdown on students and opposition leaders protesting against the NEET paper leak in Delhi.
Terming the action against peaceful demonstrators as a direct "crushing of democracy," the Minister reiterated Tamil Nadu's unwavering stance against the centralised entrance examination.
"The first voice of opposition to NEET echoed from Tamil Nadu, and today, that echo has resonated across the entire nation," he said in his social media "X" platform.
He highlighted that students nationwide are exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest, demanding an end to a system that disempowers state-level education and youth futures.
Condemning the severe police action in New Delhi, the Minister criticised authorities for treating protesting students like "criminals".
He further called out the high-handed detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi, who had joined the youth in solidarity, calling their removal an overt attack on fundamental democratic rights.
The Minister urged the Centre to recognise the legitimacy of the student movement, demanding the immediate scrapping of NEET and the restoration of Education to the State List. "We will take every firm step toward scrapping NEET and will always stand as an unshakable shield for students' rights and welfare," he affirmed.