Chennai: The Neet controversy became bigger with the alleged suicide of a farmhand’s daughter in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district after failing to clear the eligibility test and triggered a political slugfest. Her suicide echoed in the Assembly on Tuesday and raising the issue opposition DMK sought to know from the State government the steps taken to end this ordeal for TN medical aspirants.
Moving a special call attention motion in the Assembly, after the Question Hour, leader of the opposition DMK M. K. Stalin said Prathiba resorted to the extreme measure as her dream was shattered. “Last year, we lost young medical aspirant Anitha, and now Prathiba. Krithika (another aspirant) is battling for life in the hospital. We don’t know how many Anithas and Prathibas the State is going to lose due to Neet,” he said and wanted to know the steps the government has taken in obtaining the President’s assent on the two Assembly resolutions seeking Neet exemption for Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Stalin also referred to suicide bid by another girl Krithika in Villupuram district after failing to clear the Neet exam, and said there were many errors and wrong questions asked in the question paper that was set in Tamil. He alleged that the Centre’s step motherly attitude was marring the prospects of rural and poor students of TN in joining medical colleges. He claimed that Neet affected the entire Southern States as the students from North India walked away with top honours.
Responding Health Minister Dr. C. Vijayabhaskar recalled the steps taken by the government to do away with Neet, including representing to the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even waging a legal battle. But the Supreme Court had ruled against exemption on an appeal by some students Dr. Vijayabhaskar said and claimed that Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram's lawyer wife Nalini had appeared for students who were against exemption. “The decision on holding NEET was taken during the Congress regime in which the DMK was a constituent,” the Minister accused.
Joining his colleague, School Education Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan said the government's efforts in grooming the students for competitive examinations like Neet yielded results and it ensured over 45,000 candidates clearing the exam this year as against 1,300 in last year. “There is however no change in the government’s stand that TN should be exempted from NEET,” Mr. Sengottaiyan added.
Mr Stalin however insisted that the examination was not held when the DMK was in power from 2006 – 11. Alleging that the Ministers' reply was “unsatisfactory” he led his party members in staging a walk out from the Assembly House. Ally Congress and Kadayanallur MLA Muhammed Abubacker, too, followed suit.
