CHENNAI: Around 60 members of the Anti-NEET Federation, led by medical aspirant S Anitha’s brother Manirathnam, held a remembrance event at Besant Nagar on Tuesday to mark her ninth death anniversary.
Speaking at the event, where candles were lit in Anitha’s memory, Manirathnam questioned the government’s decision to deny permission for the event. He said the organisers had applied 15 days in advance, but police, in a letter issued on Monday, had described the proposed event as a protest.
He said the event would have been conducted on a larger scale had permission been granted in time.
Manirathnam said the federation’s demands were in line with the government’s stand against NEET and its demand to bring education back to the State List. At Periyar Thidal, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani and representatives of the DMK, VCK and Communist parties participated in remembrance programme.
NEET issue in Assembly
The denial of permission for the Besant Nagar event was raised in the Assembly by Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, who questioned why a remembrance programme was treated as a protest. Minister Aadhav Arjuna said the decision was based on law-and-order and traffic concerns due to the ongoing church festival in the locality.
