NEET Crisis: Palaniswami Blames DMK as Students' Lives Lost

AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami criticized the ruling DMK for increasing NEET-related student suicides in Tamil Nadu, accusing them of false promises regarding the exam's abolition. He listed 19 student deaths linked to NEET anxiety since 2021 and called for an end to the NEET 'drama' by the government.

In a scathing critique, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday accused the ruling DMK of having blood on their hands over the suicides of NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu. The opposition leader's remarks came following the tragic death of a girl student who aspired to study medicine.

Palaniswami slammed the DMK for misleading the public with promises to abolish the NEET exam, alleging it fueled stress among students. He cited the deaths of 19 students since September 2021, attributing their suicides to NEET-related stress. The DMK, part of the Congress-led UPA from 2004-2013, is partly blamed for NEET's inception.

He questioned the silence of Chief Minister M K Stalin and demanded accountability for these tragedies. Palaniswami urged the DMK to halt the NEET 'drama' and urged students to focus on a brighter future. Discussing actor-politician Vijay's comments on the upcoming 2026 elections, he dismissed them as routine political rhetoric.

(With inputs from agencies.)