Chennai: The Assembly witnessed heated exchanges between ministers and Opposition members on Tuesday when DMK working president M.K. Stalin demanded resignation of health minister C.Vijayabaskar for failing to exempt Tamil Nadu students from Neet.
The DMK, Congress and IUML members walked out the Assembly when Speaker P. Dhanapal did not allow Stalin to counter school education minister K.A. Sengottaiyan charge that the DMK was in power at the Centre when Neet was introduced.
Raising the issue. Stalin said the ruling AIADMK should use the Vice-President elections to push for getting President's approval for Tamil Nadu's Neet exemption bill.
Blaming the state government for the present chaos, he charged the state government with not exerting pressure on the Centre. Though, Presidential elections have been completed, Vice-President polls would come be held soon.
The state government should utilize the Vice-President elections to exert pressure on the Centre, he said.
Health minister C. Vijayabaskar, who intervened, said the state government had been taking all measures to protect students' welfare. A government order was issued to provide 85 per cent reservation for state-board students. A single judge of Madras high court had cancelled the reservation and the state had appealed against the single judge verdict, he said and accused the opposition of politicising the issue. He also said he would visit New Delhi to exert pressure on the Centre.
Stalin, who continued, referred to the minister's charges that opposition parties are politicising the issue and said Neet was introduced in AIADMK regime and not in DMK rule. Deputy leader of Opposition, Duraimurugan, who joined Stalin wanted the minister to get exemption for Neet or resign and added there is no other option.
Vijayabaskar asserted that the state government is continuing its fight on the issue. He said the Opposition parties are trying to use the problem for protests.
This comments triggered strong protests from the DMK members, leading to noisy scenes in the House for some time. Speaker P. Dhanapal said the DMK members would not stall the House if they had alternate suggestions.
To this, Stalin said it is the duty of the Opposition to raise the issue and it is the minister's responsibility to give an answer. “How can the minister say the opposition parties are looking out for agitations?”, he asked.
At this juncture, school education minister K.A. Sengottaiyan asked “The Neet was introduced by the Centre when DMK was in power. Did the DMK resign against it?”
When Stalin began answering the minister, the Speaker stopped him. Protesting against the Speaker's refusal to permit Stalin to speak on the subject, the Opposition members walked out of the Assembly.
