Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's recent "egg campaign" in protest of the NEET exam has ignited controversy, with the AIADMK dismissing it as a mere spectacle. The ruling DMK initiated a large-scale signature drive, aiming to collect 50 lakh signatures within 50 days to express their opposition to NEET.
Even Chief Minister MK Stalin himself added his signature to the campaign, and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin held an egg with "NEET" written on it, symbolizing his unique stance that one only needs to score zero marks in NEET to secure a PG Medical seat.
C Vijayabhaskar, a prominent AIADMK leader and former Health Minister, expressed scepticism about the initiative, characterizing it as political theatrics.
He stated, "Our stand against NEET is unwavering, without a doubt. However, it's worth noting that in 2012, when the Congress introduced NEET and when the notifications were issued, the DMK was in an alliance with them. Yet now, they are organizing a signature campaign against NEET. This appears to be a political manoeuvre in preparation for upcoming elections, as during the recent assembly elections, they promised that upon coming to power, they would secure an exemption from NEET."
In response to the DMK's criticism of the Governor and the BJP-led central government for the challenges related to securing an exemption from NEET, Vijayabhaskar mentioned that the AIADMK had also passed resolutions and forwarded them to the President.
He explained, "The path forward requires a legal battle and exerting political influence on Parliament. We must engage in parliamentary proceedings. Nonetheless, DMK has crafted this strategy to elicit sympathy from students."
When asked about the DMK's counterclaim regarding the AIADMK's failure to exert similar pressure on the BJP while it was part of the NDA alliance, Vijayabhaskar contended that the AIADMK indeed applied pressure even when in alliance.
"Here, what they are doing seems more like a theatrical performance. Specifically, for any campaign or protest, we need tangible results. The establishment of the 7.5 per cent internal reservation in medical seats was a groundbreaking move by AIADMK General Secretary and then CM Edapadi K Palaniswami, benefitting more than 700 students from government schools with disadvantaged backgrounds," Vijayabhaskar highlighted.
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