The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's state-wide hunger strike demanding the abolition of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) began across Tamil Nadu on Sunday. DMK party leaders observed a minute's silence for NEET aspirants who died by suicide in Tamil Nadu. The protest comes after state Governor RN Ravi refused to ban the NEET examination in the state.
The strike is being led by the state minister and the party's Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin, as reported by news agency PTI. He was joined by senior DMK leaders and cabinet ministers—Duraimurugan, Ma Subramanian, and PK Sekar Babu—party MPs, MLAs, and Chennai Mayor Priya R at the start of the protest in Chennai's Valluvar Kottam.
A collage of medical aspirants who allegedly died of suicide over NEET, including S Anita of Ariyalur was put on display at the stage here and floral tributes paid to them. The state-wide hunger strike is being held to seek abolition of the central qualifying test, especially in the wake of another alleged suicide of an aspirant last week.
Duraimurugan said NEET was against the welfare of students and that the DMK has been opposing it for long. The state Assembly--both during the previous AIADMK regime and the present DMK rule, had adopted resolutions against NEET.
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Presently, the anti-NEET bill is with the President for her assent. Despite repeated pleas, the Centre was not heeding TN's request against NEET, Duraimurugan said.
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