CHENNAI: Even though the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in NEET was called off following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, protests continued in Tamil Nadu on Sunday demanding the complete abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
Around 500 members of the Tamil Nadu Student Youth Federation and several student, youth and political organisations participated in a rally in Egmore, followed by a public meeting, demanding the scrapping of NEET.
The protesters said repeated irregularities in NEET, including question paper leaks and examination malpractices, had eroded public confidence in the medical entrance test. They reiterated their demand for the abolition of NEET, the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA), a judicial probe into the alleged irregularities and the restoration of education to the State List.
The participants included Manithaneya Makkal Katchi MLAs M H Jawahirullah and Thamimun Ansari, DMK leader Ezhilan Naganathan, SDPI state vice-president A S Umar Farooq, and representatives of the MDMK, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Tamilar Viduthalai Katchi, May 17 Movement and Poovulagin Nanbargal. Meanwhile, members of the All India Students’ Federation, the All India Youth Federation, along with students, staged a separate protest in Saidapet demanding the abolition of NEET. Around 30 members of the organisations were detained and were later released.
Late NEET aspirant’s brother moots collective
At a separate press conference, Manirathnam, brother of late NEET aspirant Anitha, said a collective would continue its campaign against NEET. Referring to his recent visit to Delhi to support the CJP protest, he said he had urged the organisers there to press for bringing education back to the State List and abolishing NEET altogether.
Dissent over ending protest
Meanwhile, the decision to call off the protest at Balan Illam, the CPI state headquarters, late on Saturday did not go down well with several youngsters who had been camping at the venue. Many argued that the agitation should continue until NEET was abolished. They also alleged that the CJP had misled them by claiming they were protesting for a NEET ban in TN.
“Around 2 am, CPI office-bearers asked us to take the protest elsewhere and vacate the venue. That created disappointment among many of us. We have now decided to join the collective that will continue the agitation seeking a ban on NEET,” said one of the protesters who had participated in the Balan Illam stir.
