AIADMK blames DMK govt for NEET suicides, plans statewide candlelight vigil on April 19
Referring to the Chief Minister and his deputy, AIADMK leader Palaniswami questioned how many such political dramas would be staged to deceive students and their parents regarding NEET
Palaniswami pays respects to Punitha, a NEET victim, in Salem (File photo)
CHENNAI: Squarely blaming its arch-rival DMK and its government for the deaths of more than 20 medical aspirants, who died by suicide, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that the party’s students’ wing will hold candlelight memorials at district headquarters across the state at dusk on April 19.
The AIADMK leadership has organised this protest as a counter to the DMK’s all-party meeting regarding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which seeks to explore legal avenues to abolish the entrance exam , seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu. It is important to note that the AIADMK had boycotted the all-party meeting organised by the State, with Palaniswami labelling it as “mere political drama.”
DMK leader and Chief Minister MK Stalin had assured that Tamil Nadu would be exempted from NEET once the the party came to power, while the DMK youth wing leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, boldly claimed during poll campaign that the entrance exam would be nullified with a single signature, claiming that they knew the secret on how to do it. The people of the State have not forgotten these promises, which amounted to nothing more than peddling lies, Palaniswami said.
The DMK government withdrew the AIADMK administration’s case before the Supreme Court and filed a fresh petition on the issue, which remains pending. Amidst this, the CM convened an all-party meeting on April 9 and passed a resolution to approach the apex court on the NEET issue once again—an act that was branded as ridiculous by the opposition parties, including AIADMK.
Referring to the Chief Minister and his deputy, AIADMK leader Palaniswami questioned how many such political dramas would be staged to deceive students and their parents regarding NEET.
After the DMK came to power, as many as 22 medical aspirants have taken their own lives due to fear and pressure surrounding the NEET exam, Palaniswami said. “In a bid to pay tribute to these students, the party’s students’ wing will hold candlelight vigils at 6 pm on April 19 at district headquarters across the state,” he added.
He urged all district units of the party to extend their full support to the statewide protest and called upon party functionaries to participate in large numbers. He also appealed to the public to join the protest and stand in solidarity.
