DMK to hold state-wide hunger strike today against Centre, Governor R N Ravi to seek abolition of NEET

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NEET. While speaking to ANI, Udhayanidhi said, "We stand with students. We have been asking for a ban on NEET for almost five to six years.

We have lost 20 students. Everybody will have to take moral responsibility." This state-wide hunger strike is being held to seek abolition of NEET and to condemn the Union government, which has not scrapped the national test yet, and the "irresponsible" Governor R N Ravi for his pro-NEET stand, the DMK said as quoted by PTI. The party has slammed the Central government as being autocratic, as it has so far not abolished NEET, despite several students ending their lives as they could not realise their aspiration to pursue medicine.

The fast is also being undertaken to condemn Ravi for claiming to have "powers" that he does not have. Earlier Udhayanidhi had also criticised the central government following the death of a father and son over the latter's failure to clear the NEET, saying that the state will fight against the exams "legally". He added that NEET victimised children and was now driving even their parents to death, further adding, he had said, Centre should understand the mental state of Tamil Nadu students and their parents.

He had also alleged that the reason for the deaths of medical aspirants is that the Governor failed his duty to cancel NEET twice in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, adding that he shelved it and sent it back. The reference is to the Governor's recent remark that he would never clear the Bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from the exam's ambit if he "had the power to do so". The Bill is pending with President Droupadi Murmu, and Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged her to clear it expeditiously.