Madurai (TN): Seeking to turn the tables on his party's arch-rival DMK on the NEET issue, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday said the contentious National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test was introduced during the Congress-led UPA regime, of which the Dravidian party was a key constituent.
DMK staging a day-long hunger strike on Sunday seeking its abolition was a drama, he said. Addressing a massive state conference of the party here, he asked DMK leaders -- Chief Minister M K Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi -- to not to "fool" students on NEET.
Palaniswami's remarks came soon after state minister Udhayanidhi Stalin led the DMK's Tamil Nadu-wide hunger strike demanding for scrapping of NEET, where the party's youth wing leader had even challenged AIADMK to adopt an anti-NEET resolution in the Madurai conference. The Medical Council of India had in 2010 issued a notification regarding NEET, the AIADMK leader said.
He said the Congress was at the ruling saddle at the Centre then, referring to the national party-led UPA government. Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was the Union Health Minister while DMK's S Gandhiselvan was his junior, Palaniswami said.
"NEET came into existence then only. It is on record, can't be concealed. This was concealed (by the DMK). NEET was brought by Congress and DMK," he said. "Today's fast (by Udhayanidhi) is a big drama. Ahead of the 2021 (Assembly) elections, Stalin said the first signature if DMK would be voted to power will be regarding scrapping NEET, which Udhayandhi echoed. They are in their third year (of governance) now. What have you done?" the former CM asked.
"Udhayanidhi, Stalin, don't fool students. NEET was brought by DMK, but the AIADMK tried to resist it. There is huge disappointment against the DMK government among the people. (So, the fast) is a drama. They had brought it and now they want it to be scrapped," he said targeting the ruling party. DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin had assured all efforts would be taken to ensure NEET exemption for the state, as his son and cabinet minister Udhayanidhi led the party's state-wide hunger strike demanding the abolition of the entrance test.
The DMK will not stop till Tamil Nadu gets exemption from the central qualifying test for medical courses, Stalin had said. Udhayanidhi had even asked the AIADMK to send its representatives to join the DMK in a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi against NEET, saying the opposition party can even take all the credit if the central qualifying test is scrapped. (PTI)
