NEET: DMK cadres form human chain, hold protest across TN

The DMK cadres formed human chains across Tamil Nadu today to press for President's assent to two Bills seeking to exempt the state from the ambit of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for the students aspiring to study medicine.

The party cadres and leaders led formation of human chain in their respective regions.

The participants raised slogans demanding cancellation of the NEET and condemned the state government for not getting exemption in "conspiracy" with the Centre.

The DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran said there should be "permanent solution," as advocated by party working president M K Stalin and not exemption from NEET for "a year or two," which the State government was "attempting." Meanwhile, before his detention by police en route Salem from Coimbatore, Stalin said, "The government trying to stop the (human chain) protest (in Salem) itself is a victory." He told reporters that police preventing him from proceeding further was also to stop him from visiting the Katcharoyan lake at Edappadi in Salem which was desilted by his party workers with help from local people.

The Leader of Opposition, who was detained in a hall in Coimbatore, was released later in the evening.

The DMK cadres staged protests against the police detaining their party chief.

The cadres reportedly had desilted the Salem lake yesterday.

Stalin accused the AIADMK regime of "enacting drama," on the NEET issue and said the protest is a "big victory," as the government had tried to scuttle the stir.

Till the state gets exemption from NEET, the protest would continue in different forms, he said.

The leaders of alliance parties of DMK - TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar, MMK chief M H Jawahirullah too participated in the agitation here.

The DMK had decided to hold a state-wide human chain protest today at its district secretaries meet here on July 20.

Adopting a resolution on NEET at the meet, presided over by Stalin, the main opposition slammed the BJP regime at the Centre for "shirking" its responsibility by not sending the bills to the president for his approval.

Tamil Nadu has been seeking exemption from NEET maintaining that it would affect the students from the state.

In February, the assembly had passed two bills seeking to ensure continuation of the present system of admission to the medical courses in the state.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)