TN BJP Chief Annamalai To Skip Stalin's All-Party Meet On NEET: 'Stop Your Dramas, Let Students Study In Peace'
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai strongly criticised the ruling DMK over its continued opposition to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), calling it a political "drama" meant to protect private medical colleges affiliated with the party. The BJP leader also announced that his party would not participate in the all-party meeting convened by the state government on the issue, asserting that it lacked genuine intent.
Annamalai Slams TN Govt
Annamalai alleged that DMK’s resistance to NEET is motivated by financial interests tied to private medical institutions run by party members.
"Only after the introduction of NEET, the number of government school students pursuing medical education has increased,” he said, adding that the exam has democratized opportunities for deserving students across the state.
Pointing to the remarks of former DMK minister Arcot Veerasamy, Annamalai claimed that the role of money in medical admissions has been openly acknowledged. He questioned the state’s silence on several queries raised earlier by the BJP regarding NEET’s impact and fairness.
“Between 2007 and 2016, before NEET was introduced, only 38 government school students on average secured admission to medical colleges each year,” Annamalai noted. “Post-NEET, that number has significantly increased. Why is the Chief Minister hiding this?”
He also took aim at AK Rajan Committee Report to assess NEET’s impact alleging that it failed to include vital data on medical admissions from government schools in the pre-NEET era.
Highlighting the academic performance of Tamil Nadu students, Annamalai said the state has consistently seen a rising success rate in NEET with eight students from Tamil Nadu topping the national charts in the 2024 examination. He emphasised that the state's performance in NEET is now higher than the national average.
Annamalai credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for expanding medical infrastructure in Tamil Nadu, pointing out that 14 new government medical colleges have been set up in the last decade, doubling the number of available medical seats.
Despite these developments, Annamalai accused the DMK government of failing to uphold the standards of existing medical institutions. He claimed that three government medical colleges, including the well-known Stanley Medical College, lost recognition due to poor compliance and administrative lapses.
“Enough, Chief Minister, of the selfish drama you are playing in the name of opposing NEET. So, at least stop your dramas and let the students of Tamil Nadu study in peace," he said.
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