After back-to-back suicides by a NEET aspirant and his father in Chennai on Sunday, Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his deep grief and lambasted Governor RN Ravi for making pro-NEET statements a few days ago, stated a report in The New Indian Express.

Stalin also said he would boycott the At-Home Reception to be hosted by the governor on Independence Day at the Raj Bhavan and shot off a letter to President Draupadi Murmu asking her to give assent to the NEET Exemption Bill passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly immediately to avoid loss of lives in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin said "The boycott is to condemn the governor's remarks on the NEET Bill, delay in giving assent to the bills enacted by the assembly, and for creating confusion in higher education department and universities." 

Hinting at the 2024 Lok Sabha poll, the DMK leader said, "When the political change we strive for happens in a few months, the NEET wall will collapse and those who said they would not give assent to the anti-NEET Bill will vanish."

Press release from Raj Bhavan
A few hours after the CM’s statement, a Raj Bhavan press release said the event has been postponed. "The I-Day reception has been postponed as the main lawns in Raj Bhavan are flooded due to incessant heavy in and around Guindy area. The meteorological department has also said thundershowers and rains will continue on August 15," the Raj Bhavan said.

CM's letter to the president
The CM, in his letter to the President, pointed out that the NEET Exemption Bill is the outcome of legislative consensus, stemming from the collective will of the people of Tamil Nadu. The state government has already offered the clarifications sought by the union ministries of home affairs, health, and Ayush with regard to the bill, the letter said.

"But our bill has not been given assent till now and this has caused immense anxiety in the minds of students and parents. Because of the delay, there have been several sad incidents of students (or their parents) committing suicide. So far, 16 students had ended their lives due to NEET," the CM said.

Stalin said NEET could be cleared only by those who get coaching by paying lakhs of rupees to private coaching centres. "Those who cannot afford to pay huge sums are unable to clear the exam. Also, those who clear NEET with fewer marks can join medical colleges only by paying money. In a nutshell, it is clear that only the rich can have medical education (under NEET)."

The CM also explained that students from poor economic backgrounds are entering medical colleges only through the 7.5% reservation offered for government school students. "The governor either fails to understand this fact or refuses to understand. His remarks have raised suspicions as whether the governor is acting as a puppet in the hands of coaching centres," the CM said.

The CM also recalled how the father of a Salem student posed questions about NEET to the governor. "But the governor who couldn’t answer him directly said he would not give his assent to the bill. This shows his ignorance since the bill is now before the President and he has no say on it anymore.”

DMK allies the Congress, CPM, CPI and the VCK too said they would also boycott the governor's reception. This is the second time the DMK and its allies are boycotting the governor's event. Top government officials, including chief secretary, DGP and senior IAS officers too boycotted the event last year.

Expressing deep grief over the suicide of NEET aspirant S Jegadeeswaran and his father P Selvasekar from Chromepet, the CM appealed to the student community not to harbour suicidal tendencies and said these deaths must be the last. "NEET, which stands as a stumbling block to your progress, can definitely be removed. Tamil Nadu government is engaged in legal steps for that," he said.