Tamil Nadu: Udhayanidhi Stalin describes NEET aspirant's death as 'murder'; blames Centre

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s student and medical wings initiated a state-wide hunger strike on Sunday, demanding the abolition of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET). Udhayanidhi Stalin actively participated in the one-day hunger strike organized by these wings.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has strongly criticized the Centre for the tragic suicide of a National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirant who faced failure in the exam twice. Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin, has labeled the incident as "murder" rather than suicide, attributing the blame to the Central government's policies.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s student and medical wings initiated a state-wide hunger strike on Sunday, demanding the abolition of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET). Udhayanidhi Stalin actively participated in the one-day hunger strike organized by these wings. The demonstration was aimed at denouncing the refusal of the Tamil Nadu Governor, RN Ravi, to ban the NEET examination in the state, along with protesting the Centre's stance on the matter.

Later in the day, Udhayanidhi Stalin and other DMK leaders concluded the hunger strike. In a statement to reporters, Stalin vehemently expressed his view: "It's not suicide; it is a murder. The Centre is responsible for this tragedy, and the AIADMK is aligning with them." He clarified that he joined the protest not merely as a minister or MLA, but as a grieving brother of the deceased NEET aspirant.

Udhayanidhi Stalin directed his criticism toward Governor RN Ravi, condemning his refusal to ban the NEET examination in the state. In a pointed remark, Stalin stated, "Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has displayed an alarming amount of arrogance. Who is he to dictate terms? He is not RN Ravi; he is RSS Ravi."

Udhayanidhi Stalin also called for the resignation of the Governor, challenging him to stand for election. He offered to abide by the Governor's decisions if he won the election, even if it meant supporting the continuation of NEET. The hunger strike saw the participation of prominent figures such as Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramanian, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Minister Sekar Babu, and Members of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran and Kanimozhi NVN Somu, alongside various DMK members.

Meanwhile, the DMK's planned protest in Madurai has been rescheduled to August 23 due to the concurrent AIADMK conference on the scheduled date.