Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday announced that his government would be boycotting the tea party to be hosted by Governor R N Ravi on Independence Day. The decision came amid DMK government’s differences with the Governor over the latter’s pro-NEET stand.

 

The row over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has once again come into the limelight after a medical aspirant ended his life after failing to clear the test twice. The NEET student’s father died by suicide the following day.

Tamil Nadu has been demanding NEET exemption for its students. Chief Minister MK Stalin said the Governor Ravi’s remark that he would never clear the State’s Bill to exempt it from NEET has insulted their seven-year-long protest against the exam.

Recalling the Assembly resolutions demanding NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin said the Governor returned the first resolution and sent the second one to the President for assent.MK Stalin said that he would be writing a letter to President Droupadi Murmu seeking assent for the Bill.

“Whatever Governor speaks about Dravidam, Aryan, DMK, Valluvar, Vallalaar and Sanathana, we don’t bother as we only consider it as Aryan blabbering. But if an appointed authority claims that he will demolish the dreams of government school students from poor backgrounds, we will consider it as an attack on the education system,” MK Stalin said.

He added, “The future of Tamil students is important to us. We are not someone who will be here this year and leave next year. DMK will raise the voice for the people, whether the party is in power or not."