Responding to Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said that the AIADMK was ready to debate on which party was behind the introduction of NEET in Tamil Nadu.
“Let the debate be held in a common place.Along with our party coordinator, O. Pannerselvam, I am ready for the debate … as to whose regime the poisonous seed of NEET was sown in.Let the people be the judges and deliver their judgment,” Mr. Palaniswami said, while addressing an election meeting in Madurai on Friday.
During an election campaign in Chennai on Thursday, Mr. Stalin had challenged the former Chief Minister to a debate.
Mr. Palaniswami said that the Chief Minister was trying to escape from the core issue by diverting the people. He recalled that Mr. Stalin and other DMK leaders had repeatedly promised, during the 2021 Assembly election campaign, that the first signature of the Chief Minister after the DMK assumed office would be on scrapping NEET. “Nine months have passed after the DMK came to power.Why have you not been able to scrap NEET,” he asked.
The DMK was known for white lies, Mr. Palaniswami charged. DMK youth wing leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, during the campaign had said that the DMK president had a secret weapon to scrap the NEET. “People are asking as to why they [the DMK] had not used the secret (weapon) to do away with NEET.Now, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, claims that the secret was all about continuously pressing the issue of scrapping NEET. People should know how the DMK leaders have cheated them,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
The DMK was now changing its stand after getting the people’s votes with attractive promises and white lies.“Whenever you invite us for the debate, we are ready to participate in it. Are you ready?” the former Chief Minister asked.
CM’s claim refuted
Refuting the Chief Minister’s claim that the NEET was first conducted during the AIADMK regime, Mr. Palaniswami said that the notification for NEET was issued on December 21, 2010 by the Medical Council of India, when the Congress-led Government was in power in the Centre.
The DMK was part of the Union government then, he recalled.Inadvertently, Mr. Stalin had admitted this fact during his speech on Thursday, he added.The DMK’s S. Gandhiselvan, was then the Minister of State for Health when the NEET was introduced.
Former Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, took up several legal struggles against NEET as the poor and rural students would be badly affected by it.However, a three-member bench of Supreme Court scrapped NEET.But, ignoring Ms. Jayalalithaa’s appeal to the Union government, the Centre went for a review petition on the issue in the Supreme Court.Consequently, a larger bench ordered the implementation of NEET.
“No one can refute these facts.However, in an attempt to hide the facts, he [the CM] has challenged us,” he said.
