Chennai: Health minister Ma Subramanian and BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan engaged in a war of words over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on Monday.
Subramanian told reporters that NEET was mismanaged, shattering students’ dreams and showing no respect to candidates ever since it was introduced.
“I saw how a man removed his wife’s ‘thaali’ (mangalsutra) before sending her into the exam centres,” he said after attending the Amudhakarangal event organised by the DMK to serve food. He criticised former BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan for defending NEET.
“She claimed NEET is happening neatly. The country knows that NEET is in force because of them. At least 40 people died because of NEET. The chief minister is taking actions to get exemption from NEET,” he said, narrating how the state’s effort to eliminate NEET was turned down by the President.
Later, Tamilisai told reporters that while restrictions at the exam venue were meant to prevent malpractices, “I too think students must not be humiliated. Those appointed to conduct the exams are at fault. Some are deliberately acting to destroy the sanctity of the standard exam through such actions. This should be stopped. We can’t stop NEET for this,” she said, adding the examiners should not have asked candidates to pluck out buttons or ask them to change clothes.