NEET Exemption Bill: Members from Tamil Nadu walk out from Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Members from Tamil Nadu on Thursday staged a walkout from Lok Sabha protesting Governor RN Ravi's decision to return the NEET Exemption Bill and demanding his immediate recall. Raising the issue in Lok Sabha, DMK leader TR Baalu said members from Tamil Nadu were shocked at the governor's decision to return the bill back to the assembly speaker instead of forwarding it to the President for his assent.

Earlier, members from Tamil Nadu belonging to the DMK, the Congress and Left parties raised slogans against the governor in the Well of the House. "This governor should be withdrawn forthwith. This governor should be recalled," Baalu said. Baalu said the NEET Exemption Bill was unanimously passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly and the action of the governor was against the will of the people of the state.

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Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the governor was well within his rights to return the bill and at the same time noted that rules do not permit discussion on the conduct of the governor in the House. Baalu said the members from Tamil Nadu were not satisfied with the minister's response and walked out of the House. Later, participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Congress member Manickam Tagore said the governor had kept the NEET Exemption Bill pending for five months.

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A student from Andhra Pradesh, who drew Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s attention on Thursday, urged him to initiate a nationwide struggle against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses. Also, he thanked him for intensifying the opposition to the screening test. N Sathish from East Godavari district caught the attention of the chief minister, who was proceeding to the secretariat, on TTK Road by holding a placard which read “CM sir, help me” and thanked him for opposing NEET and expressed his support. Though he scored good marks in the Class 12 board exam in Andhra Pradesh, he could not pursue a degree in medicine due to NEET, he said. According to a release from the government, Satish sought the chief minister’s support for Andhra Pradesh also. The chief minister explained the legal measures being taken against NEET, and asked him to return to his hometown. The student thanked the chief minister for his gesture, the release added.