AIADMK chief Palaniswami dubs DMK's proposed anti-NEET protest an 'eyewash'

Thanjavur(TN), Jun 19 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday dubbed the ruling DMK's proposed agitation against NEET on June 24 in Chennai an 'eyewash' and said the matter should be raised by it in Parliament and the ruling party must get the test scrapped.

Speaking to reporters here, Palaniswami ruled out taking back into the party his former party colleague O Panneerselvam and rejected VK Sasikala's pitch of making a 're-entry' into the party, saying it is not like taking a break from employment and resuming work later. "Whoever betrays the party will face the plight of O Panneerselvam." Answering a question on NEET and DMK students' wing's protest against the test on June 24 in Chennai, he wondered what was the use of holding an agitation in Tamil Nadu. "Staging a protest is eyewash. What is the use? he asked.

The matter must be raised in Parliament as the DMK and its allies from the state have as many as 40 MPs, 39 from Tamil Nadu and one from Puducherry. Also, the INDIA bloc has emerged victorious in a large number of seats across the country. The DMK, by taking the help of its allies from the state and rest of the country, should work to get exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET by raking up the issue in Parliament. The AIADMK had taken up the Cauvery issue in Parliament when it had 37 MPs from Tamil Nadu (2014-19) and "we are loyal to the people." DMK's students wing on Wednesday announced that it would state a protest on June 24 in Chennai seeking Presidential assent for Tamil Nadu's Bill to exempt the state from NEET, action over irregularities and to condemn the BJP regime for its 'autocratic' approach to continue with the national test despite suicide of students.

On the Cauvery issue, the leader of opposition alleged that the appointment of Karnataka BJP leader V Somanna as Union Minister of state for Jalshakti is a 'big betrayal' of farmers in view of ongoing inter-state river water sharing disputes between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Somanna's reported statement supporting talks among riparian states to facilitate Mekedatu dam construction is 'unacceptable'.

Asked if former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) will be readmitted into the party, Palaniswami ruled out any scope for it saying cadres will not accept his readmission.

He said the former Chief Minister 'fought against AIADMK' in Ramanathapuram LS constituency by contesting as an independent. "He had already committed the same mistake." Palaniswami said Pannerselvam, in a vote of confidence, voted against the AIADMK government led by him in February 2017.

"When was he loyal to the party? he had never been loyal. There is no history of OPS being loyal to the AIADMK. He had always acted in a selfish manner." Way back in 1989, OPS acted against Amma by being the 'chief election agent' of the candidate of the rival Janaki faction (Vennira Aadai Nirmala, Bodinayakanur constituency).

Reiterating that OPS had never been loyal to either Amma or AIADMK, Palaniswami claimed that Panneerselvam fought the Lok Sabha election out of 'selfishness.' OPS thought of becoming a 'union minister' by winning the Ramanathapuram LS seat, but people gave him the 'right punishment' and he was defeated. "Whoever betrays the party will face the plight of OPS." To a query about late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's confidante VK Sasikala's pitch of protecting AIADMK by unifying it, he asked, "who protected the AIADMK all these days? it is the party worker." Referring to her statement of making a re-entry into AIADMK, he said, "this is not something like taking a break from job and taking up employment again. What did she say in 2021? she had said that she will stay away from politics. Who guarded the party all these days? it is the party worker." PTI VGN VGN ROH