COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore said even if the party had won five seats in the Assembly elections, it has now reached a position where a government in Tamil Nadu could not be formed without its support.
"We are in a position where we are the key to the lock. This is the time for us to be magnanimous," he said, while speaking at a Congress party meeting held at Puliyakulam on Saturday.
Tagore said the functioning of the Congress party in Tamil Nadu needs to change and that a clear ideology and truth must be taken to the people. "After Vijay assumed charge as chief minister, the situation where votes could be bought with money has changed," he said, highlighting that this is the time for Congress and the party would progress with everyone's trust and hard work. The parliamentarian also said that the party cadre are pleased that two Congress ministers are part of the state cabinet.
The Congress meeting on Saturday was organised to condemn the BJP-led government over the NEET issue. Tagore said five students have died this year due to the medical entrance test. "The level of uproar witnessed when NEET aspirant Anitha died was not seen when student Keerthana ended her life recently in Coimbatore.
We are just letting it pass by unnoticed," he said, accusing the union government of moving on as if nothing had happened. He said three parliamentarians, on behalf of the TNCC, would visit the families of students who died. He said, "We will also visit the house of Keerthana and the party will provide financial assistance."
Further, Tagore alleged that NEET question papers were leaked at 90 locations across the northern states and accused the BJP and RSS of doing it in an organised manner. He said, "NEET paper leaks occur only in BJP-ruling states, not in Tamil Nadu. If an education system pushes our children to the point of suicide, we must question it. Only if Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister in 2029 can NEET be cancelled," claiming that no other party in Tamil Nadu has been voicing against the BJP in the NEET issue, out of fear.
Tagore also said the BJP and RSS continue to lose in Tamil Nadu as they have no understanding of the state. "BJP thought it could win by changing the person in charge, which did not work out. Now, someone else is going to enter under the name of a different organisation," he said, in a veiled reference to former BJP state president K Annamalai.
Meanwhile, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the meeting hall after party members from the Nilgiris demanded the removal of Nagaraj, an office-bearer in the Nilgiris district party, from his post.
