Live telecast to heat up NEET special session

Coming as it does at a time when the urban local body poll campaign is heating up, sparks are expected to fly at the special session of the Assembly, which was convened on Tuesday to discuss Governor RN Ravi’s decision to return the Bill seeking exemption for the State from NEET.

What could make the war of words even more intense is the plan to air the entire session live.

After Governor Ravi sent the NEET exemption Bill back to the Assembly for reconsideration, the meeting of all legislative parties on Saturday convened by Chief Minister MK Stalin had decided to hold a special Assembly session on Tuesday to discuss and reiterate the demand by sending the legislation to the Governor again.

Sources in the Assembly department said on condition of anonymity that the session would commence by paying condolence to Lata Mangeshkar, after which Health Minister Ma Subramanian would introduce the Bill and leaders of all legislative parties would register their opinion.

Except the BJP, the other 12 parties supported the first Bill and the same is expected to happen on Tuesday, too, said sources. Though the BJP members were initially planning to skip the session citing local body poll campaign, it has now been decided to attend the session to register their opposition, said party sources.

While AIADMK sources pointed out that party coordinator O Panneerselvam has already assured cooperation for the legal steps taken by the government to obtain exemption from NEET, the session is expected to witness sharp exchanges, as the leaders of the Principal Opposition has been criticising DMK and Stalin for selling false hope to aspirants from Tamil Nadu ahead of Assembly poll last year.

Meanwhile, Assembly department sources said the entire proceedings on Tuesday would be aired live. “Steps have been taken for live telecasting the entire special Assembly session through private news channels. Live coverage was planned for the first session of the year, but it could not be done due to Covid restrictions,” said officials on condition of anonymity. In that session, the question hour and Stalin’s speech alone were telecast live on pilot basis.