Police erected barricades and prevented members of the Dravida Tamilar Party from staging a rail roko in Coimbatore as part of their protest against NEET and in solidarity with the ongoing nationwide anti-NEET demonstrations. More than 20 protesters were later detained by the police.
Coimbatore: As part of the ongoing nationwide protests against the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), members of the Dravida Tamilar Party staged a demonstration in Coimbatore on Saturday and courted arrest after attempting to enter the railway station to hold a rail roko.
The protesters marched from the SBI Bank area towards the Coimbatore Railway Junction, raising slogans demanding the abolition of NEET, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and expressing solidarity with students and youth who were allegedly assaulted during the anti-NEET protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Police personnel erected barricades to prevent the demonstrators from entering the railway station. However, the protesters allegedly attempted to breach the barricades, leading to a brief scuffle with the police. The situation was subsequently brought under control, and more than 20 protesters were detained.
Addressing the media, Dravida Tamilar Party Deputy General Secretary Aadhi Tamizhan reiterated the party’s demand for the complete abolition of NEET and alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign, taking moral responsibility for the alleged irregularities surrounding the examination.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, to reintroduce and pass a separate Bill in the State Legislative Assembly seeking exemption from NEET and to exert greater pressure on the Union Government for its approval.
Warning of intensified protests, Aadhi Tamizhan said the party would launch a series of statewide agitations if the Union Government failed to take concrete steps towards abolishing NEET.
The protesters marched from the SBI Bank area towards the Coimbatore Railway Junction, raising slogans demanding the abolition of NEET, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and expressing solidarity with students and youth who were allegedly assaulted during the anti-NEET protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Police personnel erected barricades to prevent the demonstrators from entering the railway station. However, the protesters allegedly attempted to breach the barricades, leading to a brief scuffle with the police. The situation was subsequently brought under control, and more than 20 protesters were detained.
Addressing the media, Dravida Tamilar Party Deputy General Secretary Aadhi Tamizhan reiterated the party’s demand for the complete abolition of NEET and alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign, taking moral responsibility for the alleged irregularities surrounding the examination.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, to reintroduce and pass a separate Bill in the State Legislative Assembly seeking exemption from NEET and to exert greater pressure on the Union Government for its approval.
Warning of intensified protests, Aadhi Tamizhan said the party would launch a series of statewide agitations if the Union Government failed to take concrete steps towards abolishing NEET.