CHENNAI:T amil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday broke his silence on the nationwide protests over the NEET controversy, condemning the detention of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders in New Delhi and describing the police action against student protesters as “undemocratic.”
Issuing a statement on social media platform X, Vijay said that TVK stood firmly with the Opposition parties protesting inside the Parliament complex following the police crackdown on demonstrators participating in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.
He also reiterated the party’s unwavering opposition to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
The Chief Minister said TVK has consistently maintained, ever since the party was founded, that NEET should be abolished permanently. He asserted that the party would not exploit the issue by making promises for electoral gains, adding that the examination has caused immense hardship to students and their families.
Calling for structural reforms, Vijay said the permanent solution was to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List, enabling states to determine their own admission policies. Until such constitutional changes are made, he suggested that the Union government create a Special Concurrent List to give states greater control over school and medical education.
He said TVK had articulated both its permanent and interim proposals during the party’s educational awards function and urged the Centre to respect the sentiments of students and the people of Tamil Nadu by withdrawing NEET.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid escalating protests across the country over allegations of question paper leaks, examination irregularities and concerns regarding the transparency of the medical entrance examination.
On Monday, thousands of students, youth organisations and political activists took part in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, justice for students affected by the NEET controversy and comprehensive reforms to the examination system.
The demonstration witnessed heavy police deployment, barricading and baton charges as protesters attempted to march towards Parliament.
Several demonstrators were detained, including Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders who joined the protest in support of the students.
In Tamil Nadu, student organisations and political parties also staged demonstrations condemning the police action in Delhi while reiterating their long-standing demand for the abolition of NEET.
