AIADMK Chief Edappadi K Palaniswami today launched a sharp attack on the DMK government, accusing it of failing to fulfil its poll promise of securing an exemption for Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Speaking at the NDTV Tamil Nadu Summit, Palaniswami said the DMK had promised voters that it would exempt the state from NEET after coming to power, but failed to deliver on that assurance.
Referring to the introduction of NEET, the AIADMK leader said it was implemented during the Congress-led government at the Centre, when the DMK was part of the alliance and Tamil Nadu's Gandhiselvan served as the Minister of State for Health.
"It was the congress government that brought in NEET, we struggled so much, but because it went to the Supreme Court, it couldn't be exempted," Palaniswami said.
He further accused the DMK of misleading the public on the issue, saying, "DMK is staging a drama. It was they who brought NEET, but now they are enacting a drama, claiming they would exempt the state from NEET."
Palaniswami also recalled statements made by Chief Minister M K Stalin after the DMK came to power.
"Earlier, before the elections, they said that if the DMK came to power, they would exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET. After coming to power, the Chief Minister said on the floor of the House that they were not able to get an exemption from NEET and that the matter is in the Supreme Court. People trusted their promise and voted them to power. This is nothing but an act of cheating by the DMK," he added.
According to claims made by the ruling party, more than 100 students preparing for NEET have died by suicide over the past eight years.