New Delhi:
The Tamil Nadu BJP demanded an unconditional apology from Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, while actor Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettai Kazhagam (TVK) said the DMK-led government has deceived the people regarding the issue of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
The criticism came after Chief Minister MK Stalin told the state Assembly on Friday that NEET would have been abolished if the INDIA bloc had emerged victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He added that only the Central government has the authority to scrap the exam.
BJP state secretary SG Suryah accused Udhayanidhi Stalin of “shamelessly lying” to the people of Tamil Nadu during the 2021 Assembly election campaign by stating that abolishing NEET would be the DMK government’s priority. He also clarified that the central government has no role in implementing NEET, as it is a directive of the Supreme Court.
His statement comes a day after Vijay said on social media that the DMK deceived people with false promises, adding that it was a major poll campaign issue. Vijay said, “This is a significant social and political issue for Tamil Nadu. During the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK promised to abolish NEET if returned to power. However, they knew fully well that this decision could only be taken by the central government.”
Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister had also said that NEET did not exist during the tenures of his predecessors M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. He argued that the exam was introduced only during the tenure of Edappadi K Palaniswami’s government. MK Stalin also accused the opposition leader of remaining ‘silent’ for nearly a year during his tenure as chief minister when the Centre introduced the test.
