AIADMK backs DMK govt over NEET, urges Centre to abolish test
Chennai, Jun 6: AIADMK top leader O Panneerselvam on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and other similar examinations for all professional and other courses.
A day after Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Modi to cancel all national level tests like NEET and allow Tamil Nadu to fill professional seats, including the MBBS, based on class 12 marks, Panneerselvam backed the DMK government's position.
Till her death in 2016, late AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa had strongly opposed NEET and AIADMK government (2011-21) opposed it all along and two Bills were also adopted in the Assembly in 2017 but to no avail, Panneerselvam said in a letter to Modi.
Listing the difficulties faced by Tamil Nadu students, especially those belonging to socially and economically backward groups, he said there is a need for separate coaching to take the test since it is modelled on NCERT-CBSE curriculum and they cannot afford the fee charged by coaching centres.
Introduction of NEET has made it difficult for aspirants from the marginalised communities in Tamil Nadu to pursue medical education, he said.
Sanctioning 11 medical colleges for TN in recent times, besides the AIIMS in Madurai and cancellation of the 12th class CBSE board examination were well received and highly appreciated, Panneerselvam, popularly known as OPS, said.
Similarly, OPS, a former Chief Minister and also Deputy CM requested Modi "to take a uniform policy decision to abolish not only the NEET for enrolment in medical courses but also the common entrance examinations for all the professional and other courses forever."
The Centre should allow states to make admission based on the marks obtained by students in their higher secondary examination and "for which act of kindness,the people of Tamil Nadu will ever be grateful to you," the AIADMK leader said.
Almost all political parties of Tamil Nadu, including the DMK and AIADMK, had for long opposed NEET.
One of the grounds for their opposition is that such tests went against social justice and denied opportunities to students from socially disadvantaged groups and aspirants from rural regions. NEET continues to be one of the much politically debated issues in Tamil Nadu.
On June 5, TN government announced cancellation of class 12 state board public examinations and said a panel would be set up to decide on awarding marks to students and such marks shall be the criteria for admission to college courses.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
