TN Assembly: Stalin calls for an all-party meeting to discuss NEET issue on January 8

Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday called for an all-party meeting in the State Assembly to discuss the next course of action to get an exemption for the State from NEET.

Stalin has called for the all-party meeting a day after his Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu condemned Union Home Minister Amit Shah for refusing to meet a delegation of TN MPs and demanded the resignation of state Governor R N Ravi for not forwarding the NEET exemption legislation passed by the State Assembly for President’s assent.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly on Thursday, Stalin described Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s (repeated) denial of appointment to TN MPs delegation as inimical to democratic principles and said, “To create unanimity in deciding the next course of action (on NEET issue), we have decided to convene a meeting of all legislature parties on January 8.”

Earnestly requesting all legislature party leaders to participate in the meeting, Stalin said, “A Bill was passed in the State Assembly on September 19, 2021, to exempt the State from NEET and secure our student’s future. The governor has yet to forward the Bill for the President’s assent. The resolution (Bill) was passed with your support too. Hence, all legislature party leaders should participate in the meeting considering the importance of the resolution (Legislation).”Based on the decisions made in the meeting, our social justice struggle against NEET will continue,” Stalin informed the House.

Indicating that the state was staring at a long battle to scrap or get exemption from NEET, Stalin said, “A recap of the history of the Dravidian movement and Tamil Nadu, which is at the forefront of upholding social justice, would suggest that all our victories were achieved after long-drawn political, legal and people’s battles.”

“I am duty-bound to record in the House that the development achieved by us and our state was only through the struggles. Hence, let us consider our current fight against NEET like entrance exams as the next struggle of social justice movement and march forward without retracting a wee bit on our principles,” Stalin thundered in the House, after reiterating that college admission should be based on class XII marks and NEET like exams are detrimental to the future of poor, rural and marginalised students of the State.