CHENNAI: Protests over the death of medical aspirant Anitha from disappointment at not cracking the Neet exam to get a medical seat continued for the second day on Sunday. The saffron party, which bore the brunt of the criticism and anger over the death, attempted to turn the tables on the opposition DMK by accusing the Dravidian major of indulging in a “brutal political campaign”.
“Stalin (DMK working president) says Anitha’s death is not suicide but murder. That’s what we are saying. The one who is to be accused is the DMK,” BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said while lashing out at the DMK leader for accusing her party of “murdering the teenager.”
Tamil Culture Minister K. Pandiarajan who took on the political adversaries said, “There is absolutely no truth in the slander that anyone from the TN government ever signed acceptance of Neet. Amma (late CM J. Jayalalithaa) and Ministers opposed Neet strongly.”
In a series of tweets, he said, “My heartfelt condolences to Anitha’s family! As one who was always opposed to Neet & only tried to bring in the free coaching to the government school.”
“The only politicians who have to hang their heads in shame in this moment of grief are INC and DMK who initiated the concept of Neet in 2010”, Pandiarajan said in another tweet.
Dr Tamilisai took exception to the “insult” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the protests and said, apparently referring to effigies of the PM being burnt by protesters in Coimbatore on Saturday, “insulting Prime Minister Modi cannot be accepted.”
Meanwhile, activists of a pro-Tamil outfit, “May 17 Movement” were detained when they attempted to lay siege to the BJP’s state headquarters, Kamalalayam.
The protesters raised slogans denouncing the Central and State governments over the suicide of a 17-year-old Anitha from Ariyalur, daughter of a daily wage earner who allegedly hanged herself at her house in Ariyalur district on September, 1 reportedly upset over not securing an MBBS seat. The pro-Dalit Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) also staged protests here and scores of its volunteers were detained.
