DMK attempts to raise NEET issue in Tamil Nadu Assembly

DMK president M. K. Stalin said that though he requested the Speaker to make an obituary reference over the deaths of students, who had died by suicide fearing failure in NEET, this was not accepted

CHENNAI, 14/09/2020: DMK President M.K. Stalin with party MLA's addressing the media after attending the assembly session at Kalaivanar Arangam on Monday. Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu

On the first day of the Assembly session at Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Salai on Monday, DMK members led by their president and Leader of the Opposition, M.K. Stalin, participated in the House proceedings wearing customised face masks, printed with slogans against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

‘Ban NEET, Save TN students’ read the face masks, both in Tamil and English, worn by the DMK members. Soon after Speaker P. Dhanapal entered the House, Mr. Stalin rose to raise an issue, however, he was not allowed by the Chair.

Speaking to reporters outside the House after it was adjourned after paying homage to former President Pranab Mukherjee, DMK MLA J. Anbazhagan, Congress MP H. Vasanthakumar, frontline health workers and others who died of COVID-19, Mr. Stalin said that though he requested the Speaker to make an obituary reference over the deaths of students, who had died by suicide fearing failure in NEET, this was not accepted.

“I requested the inclusion of the names of students who died by suicide along with the names of other names that were to be read out and condoled, but it was not accepted,” Mr. Stalin said.

The DMK had given requests for taking up 15 to 20 special call attention motions over the NEET-related suicides, the National Education Policy and draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 notification, among others, he said and wondered how all of them would be taken up within two remaining days of the ongoing session.

Though DMK General Secretary and party’s Deputy Floor Leader in the House Duraimurugan had said in the House’s Business Advisory Committee meeting that three days of the session would not be sufficient, it was not allowed, Mr. Stalin pointed out.

When asked about the AIADMK government's action against NEET, Mr. Stalin charged though the ruling party did oppose NEET in its election manifesto, and it did pass a resolution against it at its general council meeting and also supported the resolution against it in the Assembly, it was “all a drama to cheat the people.”

“But, not even once did the Chief Minister or the Ministers concerned go to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister or the Ministers concerned to raise this issue is our accusation. Our accusation is that they didn’t exert necessary pressure over this.. The government headed by Edappadi is a slave government to the Centre,” Mr. Stalin charged. (EOM) DSJ