Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday criticised Governor R N Ravi, for his statement regarding the state's anti-NEET bill, saying that since the bill has been sent for Presidential assent, the Governor has nothing to do with it anymore. Subramanian was responding to Ravi's statement made on Saturday that he would never give clearance to the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted bill against the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET).
He recalled that the state Assembly had re-adopted the bill, seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from the NEET's ambit after Ravi returned it earlier. "Left with no other option (this time), the Governor had sent the bill to the President. His job is over with that. He has got nothing to do with NEET (bill). There is no need for his consent as well," the minister said in a statement.
Subramanian said that if the President is satisfied and gives assent to the bill, only that information of the approval will be shared with the Governor. "In such a situation, his remarks against the anti-NEET bill amounted to fishing in troubled waters," he said.
The Minister said that in an ideal scenario, a Governor should align with the welfare initiatives of the state government. He said that the stance taken by the DMK regime against NEET reflects the sentiments of the public.
"DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin had made an electoral assurance in 2021 to do away with the central qualifying test, if voted to power in the elections then," he said.
In his interaction with top NEET scorers in UG-2023, held as part of the 'Dare to Think Series' on Saturday, Ravi had said achievements without NEET were not enough for the future. The qualifying test is here to stay, he had asserted. "Look, I will be the last man to give clearance; never, ever. I do not want my children to feel intellectually disabled. I want our children to compete and be the best. They have proved it," he added.
NEET is one of the issues that has been a bone of contention between the Raj Bhavan and the Tamil Nadu government. The Governor has in the past also come under intense criticism from the ruling DMK-led bloc and many other quarters for returning the Assembly bills to the government.
The state Assembly had last year again adopted a Bill seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET, after the Governor returned it earlier.
(With PTI inputs)
