‘NEET must be abolished’: Vijay backs Rahul Gandhi, calls LoP's Delhi detention 'anti-democratic'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader C. Joseph Vijay has condemned the detention of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders over their protest against the NEET paper leak issue in New Delhi, calling the action "anti-democratic".

In a post on X, Vijay criticised the Union government for detaining Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders, who staged a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on Tuesday (July 21), demanding his resignation over repeated examination paper leaks and calling for education reforms.

The protest saw several senior Opposition leaders, including Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, being forcibly removed by the Delhi Police after they held a dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence.

Expressing solidarity with students protesting against the NEET paper leak controversy, Vijay also extended TVK's support to the Opposition's demonstration outside Parliament on Wednesday. He said the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other leaders was "anti-democratic" and described the government's action as condemnable.

Reiterating his party's position on the medical entrance examination, Vijay said TVK's demand for the complete abolition of NEET remained uncompromising. At the same time, he asserted that his party would not make false promises for the sake of "vote politics", in an apparent swipe at the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.

On Wednesday, leaders of several Opposition parties, dressed in black, staged a protest outside Parliament over the NEET paper leak issue.

What Vijay Said on X

The arrest of several leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who joined the youth protest held in Delhi against the irregularities in the NEET examination, is an attack on democracy. The Union government's actions are condemnable.

Condemning the unfortunate incident that took place yesterday, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) extends its full support to the protest being organised by Opposition parties today within the Parliament complex.

As far as the NEET examination is concerned, TVK's uncompromising stand is that the NEET system must be abolished entirely. We will never make false promises merely to gain political mileage from an issue that has deeply affected not only students but also their families.

If examinations like NEET are to be abolished, education must first be moved back to the State List. That alone can provide a permanent solution. If there are legal or constitutional hurdles in doing so, then, as an interim measure, a Special Concurrent List should be created to grant greater powers to state governments. Through such a mechanism, states should be vested with full authority over education, including medical education. This represents both our long-term and interim approach to resolving the issue. We had clearly articulated this position at our party's education awards function soon after the party was founded.

The Union government must respect the sentiments of the people and the aspirations of students. As an expression of that commitment, the NEET examination must be abolished completely. We once again reiterate that this is the only solution to the issue.