Ready to debate on who implemented NEET, says T.N. Congress leader K. Selvaperunthagai

Tamil Nadu Congress president criticizes Union Minister for Education's misleading statements on NEET exam, challenges BJP's role.

Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan has misled everyone by stating that he had been resolving issues in the NEET exam created by the Congress party, said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai on Monday and added that the NEET was introduced by the BJP government.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said that he was ready to debate as to which party introduced NEET in India.

“NEET was not implemented during the Congress government. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, a Sangh Parivar NGO — Sankalp — approached the Supreme Court demanding the conduct of NEET across India. The Union government agreed to conduct it. Some political parties, particularly the BJP, are behaving like Goebbels [Hitler’s Minister for propaganda]. We are ready to debate this,” he said.

Furthermore, when asked to comment on the recent speech of filmmaker Pa. Ranjith that elected Dalit representatives should work together on common Dalit causes, the Congress leader said, “This will happen if situation warrants it. No individual can decide on the issue.”

Mr. Selvaperunthagai further said, “I have read works of Dr. Ambedkar, M.C. Rajah, Meenambal, Rettaimalai Srinivasan to an extent. Never has there existed 100% unity among Dalits. Even when Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar was alive, there were many disagreements among the leaders. But, this is a good effort and only the Congress party has accommodated Dalit leaders and inducted them into the Cabinet. Neelam Cultural Centre must recognise the role of the Congress. Even today, in Karnataka, the Home Minister is a Dalit; Telangana Deputy Chief Minister is a Dalit.”

Mr. Selvaperunthagai said that if the DMK decided to elevate Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as the Deputy Chief Minister, the Congress party would welcome it.