Chennai, Sep 15 (IANS) The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) – the entrance exam for medical colleges – generated heated debate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday.
Chief Minister K. Palaniswami replying to a Special Call Attention motion said NEET was brought by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in which DMK was a partner.
Palaniswami said it was late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa who had moved the apex court to get NEET cancelled. But it was the UPA government which brought it back.
He also said it was the DMK which is responsible for the death of 13 medical college aspirants in the state.
Members of Congress objected when AIADMK lawmaker Inbadurai said it was advocate Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who had argued in favour of NEET in the court.
Inbadurai also said DMK was part of UPA when NEET was introduced. Palaniswami said it was not wrong information.
Congress members demanded the Speaker expunge Inbadurai’s remarks which the latter refused.
With the Congress lawmakers continuing to disrupt proceedings, Speaker P. Dhanapal ordered the marshals to evict them.
On his part DMK President and Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin, speaking on the motion, said NEET was not there in the state till late M. Karunanidhi was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Stalin said the central government was silent on the two resolutions unanimously passed by the Assembly to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET.
Stalin assured of DMK’s support for the government to take necessary action so that admissions of medical colleges are made based on the marks secured by the students in their plus two exams.
He also urged the state government to pass a resolution condemning the central government for not scrapping NEET and not respecting the students’ sentiments.
–IANS
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