CHENNAI: Health Minister C Vijayabasker on Tuesday asked DMK president MK Stalin to reveal his strategy to scrap NEET after eight months as has been promising in his speeches recently. If Stalin spells out his idea, the AIADMK government is ready to implement it immediately to safeguard students of Tamil Nadu. Stalin has been saying that the DMK would be coming to power in eight months and it would scrap NEET, the minister said.
“How can NEET be scrapped in eight months since it is being implemented at the national level based on a verdict of the Supreme Court? The Leader of the Opposition should not confuse students and their parents by making such a promise. Such false hopes will demoralise students.” Responding, Stalin said, “Ban on Jallikattu also came based on a verdict of the Supreme Court.
But the then Chief Minister, O Panneerselvam, approached the Central government and the State Assembly adopted a resolution for Jallikattu and sent it to the Centre and permission was obtained. In the same way, the DMK will come to power in eight months. Adopting the same strategy you adopted for Jallikattu, we will put pressure on the Centre.
Definitely, the Union government has to consider our pressure. Now, the present government should put pressure on the Centre to scrap NEET.” However, Vijayabaskar pointed out that Jallikattu was an issue pertaining only to Tamil Nadu, whereas NEET was a national issue. “While all other State governments have accepted NEET, Tamil Nadu is the only State pursuing a legal battle against the test. So, a Jallikattu-like solution cannot be found for NEET,” he added.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said the Congress and the DMK were responsible for introducing NEET in 2010 and the successive AIADMK governments had been fighting it legally. Without naming Nalini Chidambaram, who argued in support of NEET, Palaniswami charged that the DMK had connived with the Congress in introducing the test and it was responsible for the death of 13 persons. “You have committed a historical blunder,” he told the DMK.
Congress MLAs evicted
When AIADMK MLA Inbadurai charged that Nalini Chidambaram, wife of Congress leader P Chidambaram, argued in favour of NEET before the Supreme Court and that all efforts to scrap NEET became useless because of her, Congress MLAs objected to this and demanded that the remark be expunged. They trooped to the well of the house and spoke to the Speaker. The Speaker said they could respond to Inbadurai when their MLA gets a chance to speak. When Congress MLAs continued to sit in the well of the House, the Speaker ordered their eviction.