DMK has blood of NEET aspirants on its hands: Palaniswami

Chennai, March 29 (IANS) AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK, accusing its leaders of being responsible for the deaths of several NEET aspirants in the state.  

Reacting to the recent death of Dharshini, a girl from Dindigul who was preparing for the NEET exam at a private academy in Anna Nagar, Chennai, Palaniswami expressed deep shock and sorrow.

Dharshini had been preparing for the exam since 2021 and had attempted it twice before. Unable to clear the cutoff marks, she was reportedly under immense stress and allegedly died by suicide on Saturday (March 29), fearing the upcoming test scheduled for May 4.

Blaming the DMK for the tragic turn of events, Palaniswami held the party accountable for laying the foundation for NEET during its alliance with the Congress-led UPA from 2004 to 2013.

In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, the former Chief Minister said, “The DMK has laid the foundation for shattering the dreams of Tamil Nadu students aspiring to study medicine.” He accused the ruling party of betraying the people by falsely promising that NEET would be abolished if it came to power.

He further added, “For the DMK, which deceived people by spreading the blatant lie that there would be no NEET in Tamil Nadu if it formed the government -- don’t the continuous student deaths prick your conscience?” Citing 19 student suicides between September 2021 and March 2025, Palaniswami put the blame squarely on the DMK, which assumed office on May 7, 2021.

“What answer does Chief Minister M.K. Stalin have for the 19 lives lost?” he questioned. He asked, “How are DMK leaders going to wipe away the bloodstains that have accumulated on their hands due to a huge lie told for political gain?” Calling for an immediate end to the “NEET exam drama,” the AIADMK chief said the ruling party was fully responsible for the stress-induced death of the student in Dindigul.

“Do not deceive students any longer, Stalin,” he urged. Taking a dig at Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for his earlier claim that the DMK had a ‘secret’ method to eliminate NEET, Palaniswami asked, “How many more lives should be lost before that secret comes out?” Concluding his statement, he appealed to students not to give in to despair. “March forward with confidence. Life is big, the world is big,” he advised.