AIADMK blames DMK for 'politicising' NEET in TN

Chennai, Dec 26 (PTI) AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami on Sunday accused the ruling DMK of 'politicising' the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test in the run up to the Assembly election held in April and even after capturing power.

Urging the state government to immediately launch special coaching programmes for students "till such time the national test is cancelled," Palaniswami, also the leader of opposition, slammed the DMK for not conveying the factual position in respect of conduct of NEET to the student community.

Two MBBS aspirants, 'died by suicide' last week in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris and Thanjavur Districts, he said and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.

Expressing grief over such deaths, he reiterated his appeal to students to not resort to extreme measures and underscored that medicine is not the only choice open to them and there are at least 40 paramedical courses.

The DMK, by assuring that NEET would be rescinded, repeatedly 'politicised' the matter ahead of the Assembly poll and even after assuming power and this is the reason behind the mental agony faced by aspirants, Palaniswami, also the former Chief Minister said blaming the government for suicides.

He wanted the DMK regime to convey to students, the true status vis-a-vis the conduct of NEET as students 'believed' the assurance that the test would be cancelled.

He sought the government to provide a solatium of Rs 25 lakh to the families of aspirants who died by suicide.

The DMK government, like its predecessor AIADMK, passed a Bill in the Assembly to exempt Tami Nadu from the ambit of NEET.

The DMK MPs protested in Parliament over NEET and a private member's Bill was also reportedly moved in this connection.

Opposition to NEET became an emotive issue in the state over the years following deaths of aspirants by suicide. PTI VGN ROH ROH