AIADMK failed on Neet issue: Stalin

Chennai: Refuting Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's charge that the previous DMK regime had set the stage for introduction of the 'NEET' exam for admissions to medical and dental colleges, the DMK president M K Stalin said no quarter was given for 'NEET' to enter the system as long as DMK was in power.

Campaigning for the DMK candidate Kathir Anand contesting the August 5 Lok Sabha poll from Vellore on the third day on Monday at Anaicut in the district, Mr Stalin asserted that on the contrary, it was under the AIADMK regime that holding of 'NEET' exam was allowed in Tamil Nadu, knowing well that rural students were at a disadvantage even if they secured high marks at the Plus-2 Board exams.  

Mr. Stalin said without a high NEET score, even the best students from the state could not hope to get MBBS/BDS admissions. It was in that backdrop, the DMK leader said he had initiated the move to pass a government resolution in the Assemnbly to permanently exempt Tamil Nadu from the purview of 'NEET', Mr. Stalin said.

However, in the last two years, the AIADMK government failed to exert sufficient pressure on the Central government to get the President's assent for the state Bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from 'NEET'.

“Just to save their government the AIADMK was clutching the coat tails of the BJP at the Centre,” Stalin charged and reiterated the DMK's commitment to ensure the State is exempted from 'NEET'.

Stating that DMK MPs' were fighting for the State's rights in New Delhi, Mr. Stalin said in the Mekedatu dam issue, “we are voicing our protest in Parliament”. Similarly, DMK was opposing any move to impose Hindi by the Centre. “We are clear that Tamil Nadu will have only a two-language policy- English and Tamil-,” Stalin said.

Even with respect to the draft New Education Policy (NEP), he said the DMK had appointed an experts' committee to study the pros and cons of the NEP. Their report has detailed what should be removed from NEP, he said, adding, a group of MPs' led by Ms. Kanimozhi had submitted the panel's findings to the HRD Minister in New Delhi on Monday, Stalin said and urged the voters to send Kathir Anand to the Lok Sabha as the 39th MP from the DMK-led alliance to add strength.

The AIADMK government has returned as unspent `28,129 crore allotted for various schemes in the State, which was a poor reflection on its governance, Mr Stalin said. The DMK leader concentrated on Anaicut Assembly segment today. His son Udayanidhi Stalin campaigned in Vaniyambadi and Ambur on Monday.

Mitigating Water crisis: OPS The AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. O. Pannerselvam, campaigning for NJP candidate A C Shanmugam, in Odukathur in Vellore today said the water scarcity in many parts of Tamil Nadu including Vellore district was mainly due to an insufficient monsoon this year so far. But to mitigate the crisis, “we are taking steps on a war footing and implementing water supply schemes,” he said.

 Mr. Pannerselvam also quashed impressions that the 100-day rural jobs scheme will be stopped in Tamil Nadu by the AIADMK regime. “I assure that the scheme will never be stopped,” the Deputy CM emphasised.

“We are focusing on ensuring food, clothing and shelter for the people and all our schemes being implemented are directed towards accomplishing this goal,” Mr. Panneerselvam said and added that Mr. Stalin “continued to lie to the people, but they will not accept it.”