Chennai, Jul 21 (PTI) Rapper ‘Therukural’ Arivu staged a protest outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat here on Tuesday against NEET.
Police personnel at the Secretariat initially escorted Arivu away from the protest site before later taking him inside the Secretariat to meet Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on the latter’s instructions.
According to sources, Arivu conveyed his concerns over the national-level entrance examination during the meeting.
After the meeting, Public Works and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna escorted him to the exit gate.
The state government has been advocating the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and has urged that admissions to medical colleges in Tamil Nadu be based on candidates’ Plus Two examination marks.
DMK MP Kanimozhi alleged that the state government was targeting YouTubers and social media activists who voiced criticism by sending them to prison.
“The ruling party appears to be acting out of fear of the BJP. They are hesitant even to name the BJP. They are suppressing protests in the same manner as student protests are being handled in Delhi,” the DMK deputy general secretary told reporters in Tirunelveli.
She strongly condemned the use of force against students protesting alleged exam irregularities and question paper leaks in the national capital, saying such action against the youth was unacceptable.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, criticised the police action against Arivu, saying the rapper’s voice reflected the sentiments and demands not only of Tamil Nadu but of millions across the country.
“NEET is not just riddled with discrepancies; it has become a scam. The voices raised against NEET deserve to be heard, not silenced,” Udhayanidhi wrote on X. PTI JSP SSK
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