NEET issue: DMK walks out of Lok Sabha

The DMK on Monday staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha after demanding a reply from the government over the issue of the President rejecting two Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly to conduct medical admission in the State solely on the basis of Class 12 marks.

Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have for long demanded exemption of the state from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, DMK member T R Baalu said several students in Tamil Nadu have committed suicide after not clearing the test.

Baalu sought reply of the government on the issue of rejection of two bills by the President, which were sent to his office in 2017 by the Tamil Nadu government, to exclude the state from NEET.

"Are we in a state of democracy and are we ruled by the Centre...I want a reply from the government," he said.

As Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC) to raise his issue, Baalu said, "We are walking out Sir".

In February 2017, the Tamil Nadu government had adopted two Bills seeking to exempt the state from the purview of NEET and to ensure continuation of medical admissions based on Class 12 marks.

The Home Ministry last week informed the Madras High Court that the president has rejected two bills, which were sent to his office in 2017 by the Tamil Nadu government, to exclude the state from NEET.

Meanwhile, Bandyopadhyay flagged his party's "strong opposition" to the government's decision to divest stake in 42 public sector undertakings.

These companies include Air India and BSNL, he said.