Defending his party, Tagore said the Congress formulated policies with the interests of poor and ordinary students in mind and was prepared to reconsider its decisions in response to public sentiment. Using an analogy, he said shoes should be made to fit a person’s feet rather than forcing the feet to fit the shoes.
He also accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of empowering the National Testing Agency and turning NEET into a commercialised system dominated by coaching centres. Tagore referred to allegations of question-paper leaks, corruption and examination irregularities, claiming that these had added to the pressure faced by students.
Referring to the death of medical aspirant S. Anitha and other students, the TNCC chief alleged that the Narendra Modi government continued to defend the examination despite its impact on disadvantaged families.
Tagore reiterated Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s assurance that states opposed to NEET would be granted a complete exemption if the Congress formed the government at the Centre.
He also challenged Palaniswami to persuade the BJP, the AIADMK’s ally, to make a similar commitment. Tagore asked whether the former chief minister was prepared to confront the Union government and state unequivocally that Tamil Nadu did not want NEET.
With IANS inputs
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