Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Aadhav Arjuna launched a sharp attack on the NDA government at the Centre over the police action against students and Opposition leaders protesting the NEET paper leak in New Delhi, describing the crackdown as a “crushing of democracy” and reaffirming the State government’s long-standing opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
In a statement posted on his social media platform X, the Minister said Tamil Nadu had been the first State to raise its voice against NEET and asserted that the movement had now grown into a nationwide campaign.
“The first voice of opposition to NEET echoed from Tamil Nadu, and today that voice has spread across the country,” he said, adding that students from different parts of India were now demanding reforms to what they view as an unfair and centralised examination system.
Aadhav Arjuna said students were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest and urged the Union government to respond to their concerns instead of suppressing dissent with force.
According to him, the demonstrations reflected growing anxiety among young people over an examination that, he said, undermines state education systems and limits opportunities for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
Strongly criticising the police action against protestors in the national Capital, the Minister stated that the authorities had treated peaceful student protesters like criminals.
He said the use of brute force against demonstrators was unacceptable in a democratic country and warned that such actions would only deepen public resentment.
The Minister also condemned the detention of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, who had joined the protest in support of the students. He described their detention as an attack on democratic values and accused the Centre of attempting to silence voices demanding accountability and transparency from it.
Reiterating the Tamil Nadu government’s position, Aadhav Arjuna called for the complete abolition of NEET and urged the Union government to restore education to the State List, arguing that states should have greater authority in framing admission policies suited to their educational systems.
He said the Tamil Nadu government would continue to pursue every constitutional and legal avenue to secure the abolition of NEET and would remain committed to protecting the interests, rights and future of students. The Minister said the State would continue to stand firmly with students in their demand for an equitable and inclusive system of higher education admissions.
(IANS)
