Udhayanidhi invites EPS to join a protest against NEET
![](https://middayonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-2-copy-112.jpg)
CHENNAI: Throwing a fresh political challenge at AIADMK, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday invited AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to join a protest with DMK against NEET in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi.
“NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu should be patient. NEET is a non-qualifying exam. When NEET is abolished, then the state will dawn. The one-day hunger strike is just a beginning. The next protest will be held in Delhi. I invite our primary opposition AIADMK to join a protest against NEET in Delhi. Edappadi K Palaniswami should come with us and sit in front of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and fight for exemption from NEET. If we fight together and abolish NEET, let you (Edappadi K Palaniswami) keep the name for that victory, ” Udhayanidhi said while addressing the one-day hunger strike here.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and AIADMK, the DMK youth wing leader said that the BJP-led Union government and its ally AIADMK had murdered 21 NEET aspirants in the state.
“So far, we have lost 21 lives due to NEET. We are talking about 21 deaths as suicide. I am saying that these 21 suicides are not just suicides, but murders. These murders were done by the Union BJP government and AIADMK supported this, ” he added.
Taking a dig at the Governor R N Ravi, the Chepauk MLA said that the Governor is just a postman and has no authority to speak about Tamil people.
“Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi calls and facilitates the students who have secured NEET. He conducts almost a coaching class for NEET. He is not R N Ravi, he is RSS Ravi. Who are you? What authority do you have? You are just a postman. Your only job is to tell the Union government what the state tells you. You have no power. You know nothing about the people of Tamil Nadu. Are you ready to resign your gubernatorial post and contest in the general election in Tamil Nadu? Your ideologies will never be accepted on this planet. BJP is unnecessary for Tamil Nadu. Tamil people will never forgive BJP and AIADMK, ” added Udhayanidhi.
Recalling his visit to the NEET aspirant’s residences who have died by suicide, the actor turned politician said that he participated in the hunger strike as a brother of those 21 who died by suicide. “I have been talking about NEET for the last 5 years and I am ready to talk and protest in future too. I did not participate in this hunger strike as a minister. I am not participating in this program as a MLA but as a layman. I have come to speak as the brother of those 21 NEET aspirants who died by suicide. I participated in the hunger strike because I did not care if I lost my ministerial post, ” said Udhayanidhi.