DMK, allies hold hunger strike against Tamil Nadu governor over NEET issue

In the hunger strike, leaders from DMK, CPM, Congress, MDMK and VCK termed NEET to be against the students from poor socio-economic backgrounds. The governor is yet to pass the Bill and forward it to the President of India.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allied parties held a hunger strike at Valluvarkottam in Chennai on Monday, January 31, against Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi over the NEET issue on Sunday.

DMK, CPM, CPI, Congress, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leaders participated in the hunger strike where leaders of the parties urged the Tamil Nadu governor to pass the Tamil Nadu Undergraduate Medical Admission Bill to the President.

In the hunger strike organised by the State Platform for Common School System - Tamilnadu, leaders from various parties termed NEET to be against the students from poor socio-economic strata.

Questions were raised by the leaders as to why there was a delay in sending the Bill to the President. The Bill was passed with 230 of the 234 MLAs supporting it in the state assembly.

DMK MP TKS Elangovan stated that his party had kept the poll promise, and a Bill against NEET was passed in the assembly but claimed that the governor, who is the representative of the state, was refusing to pass the Bill.

The ‘anti-NEET’ Bill was passed in Tamilnadu Assembly on September 13, which proclaimed that the state has decided to provide admission based on Class 12 standard public examination marks instead of NEET.

CM Stalin stated in the assembly that the decision was derived after appointing retired Justice AK Rajan to look into the effects of NEET and submit a report. The report clearly indicated that NEET robs the medical aspiration of students from poor backgrounds and rural areas.