Coimbatore: Protests demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test (NEET) intensified across Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, with student and youth organisations holding demonstrations in several districts and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities surrounding the examination.
In Coimbatore, activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), affiliated with the CPI(M), organised a protest expressing solidarity with students demonstrating in New Delhi.
The protesters accused the Union government of failing to address concerns over the integrity of the examination and alleged that the Centre had responded to peaceful protests with police action instead of dialogue.
Addressing the gathering, DYFI Coimbatore District Secretary Dinesh Raja criticised the Delhi Police for its action against protesters marching towards Parliament. He condemned the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been observing a hunger strike since June 20. He demanded Wangchuk’s immediate and unconditional release and called for action against police personnel accused of using excessive force against demonstrators near Jantar Mantar.
The organisations also criticised the Tamil Nadu Police for detaining protesters during demonstrations held in Chennai, Madurai and Mayiladuthurai in support of the nationwide anti‑NEET movement.
Student leaders questioned why Tamil Nadu did not have a designated public protest venue similar to New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where citizens could assemble to voice democratic demands.
Claiming that the controversy surrounding NEET had resulted in the loss of several young lives across the country, the protesters reiterated their demand for the complete abolition of the entrance examination. They argued that admissions to medical colleges should be determined by the marks obtained in the Class XII board examinations rather than through a centralised entrance test.
As part of their intensified campaign, the SFI and DYFI announced a 48‑hour sit‑in protest in Coimbatore to press for their demands. However, police intervened at the protest venue and detained several demonstrators before later removing them from the site.
Meanwhile, in Chennai, members of the CJP (Cockroach Janata Party) continued their agitation for the third consecutive day, maintaining pressure on the Union government over the NEET issue.
Protesters staged demonstrations highlighting their demand for the examination’s abolition and urged the Centre to introduce an alternative admission system that they said would be fairer to students across the country.
--IANS
