Only the centre has the power to cancel Neet, clarifies TN CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test would have been abolished had the Indi alliance captured power, but only the Central government can now cancel the test.

The DMK has consistently opposed NEET and was involved in efforts aimed at scrapping the test, he told the Assembly.

"NEET did not enter Tamil Nadu as long as our leader Kalaignar (late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi) and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa were in power. The exam was introduced only during your regime," Stalin said responding to the Leader of the Opposition AIADMK Edappadi K Palniswami's charge that the ruling dispensation had done precious little to abolish NEET despite its promise in the run-up to the 2021 assembly election.

"Does Opposition Leader Palaniswami not know that only the Union Government can cancel NEET? If the Indi alliance had come to power at the Centre, then NEET would have definitely been cancelled," Stalin said responding to a volley of charges by former Chief Minister Palaniswami.

Accusing Stalin of assuring to scrap the national level screening test before coming to power but not doing so after coming to power, Palaniswami asked "why the double standards?" At this, the CM shot back "we say what we do, and do what we say."  "You didn't do, and that's why we are asking now," Palaniswami said.

Stalin accused Palaniswami of remaining 'silent' for nearly a year during his tenure as chief minister when the Centre introduced the test.

"It is true that we had said that we will try to cancel NEET. Our coalition did not come to power at the Centre. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had said that he will cancel the NEET," Stalin explained.

Palaniswami, who could not attend the Assembly session for the last two days as he was not keeping well, had sought Speaker M Appavu's permission to speak in the afternoon. Immediately after he commenced his debate, the CM got up and wished him good health.

The Leader of the Opposition, who spoke on various issues, including the price rise of commodities, and Tamil Nadu's fiscal health, for over one-and-a-half hours urged the CM to have the cases registered against the farmers and villagers who protested against the Tungsten mining project in Madurai, withdrawn. Stalin assured to consider the request.