Minister booed, actor's mic taken away as Chennai NEET protesters reject politics
Students at Chennai's NEET protest rejected political interventions, booed Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan, stopped actor Sanam Shetty after she identified herself as a Vijay fan and turned away a group wearing 'GenZ DMK' T-shirts.
Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan, actor Sanam Shetty and prominent DMK activists faced resistance and booing at the NEET protest venue in Chennai as students refused to let the agitation become a platform for political messaging or personal endorsements. Protesters turned away those carrying political branding, took away microphones from a speaker they felt was shifting the focus and repeatedly asserted that the movement would remain centred on students and the demand to abolish NEET.
The scenes unfolded at CPI state headquarters Balan Illam, which has served as the main gathering point for protesters since the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) began its indefinite sit-in on July 20. Members, volunteers and supporters gathered there carrying placards and raising slogans in support of their demands.
One of the first dramatic moments came when activist and DMK supporter Julie entered Balan Illam with a group of youths wearing T-shirts carrying the tag "GenZ DMK ". The group was immediately turned away by protesters.
Actor Sanam Shetty, who arrived to express support for the students, also encountered resistance. After saying she was an ardent fan of CM Vijay and had come to the protest after watching the first-day-first-show of Jananayagan, protesters took away the microphone. She later questioned whether those gathered were actually students. "They called me saying this is a pro-student protest. How can they call me for watching the movie, a joke?" she said.
Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan visited Balan Illam but also faced a hostile reception.
"Abolishing NEET is the only option and we stand united, setting aside political differences, with all the brothers and sisters of Anitha here. When it comes to students' issues, DMK, AIADMK, TVK and all parties will stand united," he said at the venue.
To this, the students responded by chanting "Marina, Marina", referring to the police closure of entrances to Marina Beach following rumours that protesters planned to move there and continue their indefinite agitation against NEET. The protesters were heard shouting, "Veliye po, veliye po (Get out, get out"), while the minister was speaking.
While the CJP had been protesting for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the Left parties continued to press their long-standing demand for the complete abolition of NEET. The protest also came in response to what organisers described as excessive police force used while detaining members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the CPI(M), at various locations across the city.
Addressing the gathering, SFI state chief Mrithula said Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation alone would not resolve the issue and insisted that NEET must be abolished. She said the first death linked to NEET was that of 17-year-old medical aspirant S Anitha from Ariyalur and claimed that more than 30 student suicides related to the examination had since been reported in Tamil Nadu.
Prince Gajendra Babu, who supported Anitha's campaign against NEET, alleged that the examination had been introduced to benefit private medical colleges. "This is a major conspiracy against medical education and the health sector. Those students who are fighting against this conspiracy are patriots," he said.
Filmmaker Vettrimaaran also backed the agitation, saying the movement should move beyond demanding a "Fair NEET" and instead seek the complete abolition of the examination. He said students were struggling to secure medical education despite scoring high marks in Class 12 examinations and urged people to continue the fight until NEET is scrapped.
Following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the CJP called off its protest. The Left parties, however, announced that they would continue the agitation until NEET is abolished.
Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan, actor Sanam Shetty and prominent DMK activists faced resistance and booing at the NEET protest venue in Chennai as students refused to let the agitation become a platform for political messaging or personal endorsements. Protesters turned away those carrying political branding, took away microphones from a speaker they felt was shifting the focus and repeatedly asserted that the movement would remain centred on students and the demand to abolish NEET.
The scenes unfolded at CPI state headquarters Balan Illam, which has served as the main gathering point for protesters since the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) began its indefinite sit-in on July 20. Members, volunteers and supporters gathered there carrying placards and raising slogans in support of their demands.
One of the first dramatic moments came when activist and DMK supporter Julie entered Balan Illam with a group of youths wearing T-shirts carrying the tag "GenZ DMK ". The group was immediately turned away by protesters.
Actor Sanam Shetty, who arrived to express support for the students, also encountered resistance. After saying she was an ardent fan of CM Vijay and had come to the protest after watching the first-day-first-show of Jananayagan, protesters took away the microphone. She later questioned whether those gathered were actually students. "They called me saying this is a pro-student protest. How can they call me for watching the movie, a joke?" she said.
Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan visited Balan Illam but also faced a hostile reception.
"Abolishing NEET is the only option and we stand united, setting aside political differences, with all the brothers and sisters of Anitha here. When it comes to students' issues, DMK, AIADMK, TVK and all parties will stand united," he said at the venue.
To this, the students responded by chanting "Marina, Marina", referring to the police closure of entrances to Marina Beach following rumours that protesters planned to move there and continue their indefinite agitation against NEET. The protesters were heard shouting, "Veliye po, veliye po (Get out, get out"), while the minister was speaking.
While the CJP had been protesting for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the Left parties continued to press their long-standing demand for the complete abolition of NEET. The protest also came in response to what organisers described as excessive police force used while detaining members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the CPI(M), at various locations across the city.
Addressing the gathering, SFI state chief Mrithula said Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation alone would not resolve the issue and insisted that NEET must be abolished. She said the first death linked to NEET was that of 17-year-old medical aspirant S Anitha from Ariyalur and claimed that more than 30 student suicides related to the examination had since been reported in Tamil Nadu.
Prince Gajendra Babu, who supported Anitha's campaign against NEET, alleged that the examination had been introduced to benefit private medical colleges. "This is a major conspiracy against medical education and the health sector. Those students who are fighting against this conspiracy are patriots," he said.
Filmmaker Vettrimaaran also backed the agitation, saying the movement should move beyond demanding a "Fair NEET" and instead seek the complete abolition of the examination. He said students were struggling to secure medical education despite scoring high marks in Class 12 examinations and urged people to continue the fight until NEET is scrapped.
Following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the CJP called off its protest. The Left parties, however, announced that they would continue the agitation until NEET is abolished.
Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan, actor Sanam Shetty and prominent DMK activists faced resistance and booing at the NEET protest venue in Chennai as students refused to let the agitation become a platform for political messaging or personal endorsements. Protesters turned away those carrying political branding, took away microphones from a speaker they felt was shifting the focus and repeatedly asserted that the movement would remain centred on students and the demand to abolish NEET.
The scenes unfolded at CPI state headquarters Balan Illam, which has served as the main gathering point for protesters since the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) began its indefinite sit-in on July 20. Members, volunteers and supporters gathered there carrying placards and raising slogans in support of their demands.
One of the first dramatic moments came when activist and DMK supporter Julie entered Balan Illam with a group of youths wearing T-shirts carrying the tag "GenZ DMK ". The group was immediately turned away by protesters.
Actor Sanam Shetty, who arrived to express support for the students, also encountered resistance. After saying she was an ardent fan of CM Vijay and had come to the protest after watching the first-day-first-show of Jananayagan, protesters took away the microphone. She later questioned whether those gathered were actually students. "They called me saying this is a pro-student protest. How can they call me for watching the movie, a joke?" she said.
Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Tamil Nadu Education Minister Raj Mohan visited Balan Illam but also faced a hostile reception.
"Abolishing NEET is the only option and we stand united, setting aside political differences, with all the brothers and sisters of Anitha here. When it comes to students' issues, DMK, AIADMK, TVK and all parties will stand united," he said at the venue.
To this, the students responded by chanting "Marina, Marina", referring to the police closure of entrances to Marina Beach following rumours that protesters planned to move there and continue their indefinite agitation against NEET. The protesters were heard shouting, "Veliye po, veliye po (Get out, get out"), while the minister was speaking.
While the CJP had been protesting for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the Left parties continued to press their long-standing demand for the complete abolition of NEET. The protest also came in response to what organisers described as excessive police force used while detaining members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the students' wing of the CPI(M), at various locations across the city.
Addressing the gathering, SFI state chief Mrithula said Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation alone would not resolve the issue and insisted that NEET must be abolished. She said the first death linked to NEET was that of 17-year-old medical aspirant S Anitha from Ariyalur and claimed that more than 30 student suicides related to the examination had since been reported in Tamil Nadu.
Prince Gajendra Babu, who supported Anitha's campaign against NEET, alleged that the examination had been introduced to benefit private medical colleges. "This is a major conspiracy against medical education and the health sector. Those students who are fighting against this conspiracy are patriots," he said.
Filmmaker Vettrimaaran also backed the agitation, saying the movement should move beyond demanding a "Fair NEET" and instead seek the complete abolition of the examination. He said students were struggling to secure medical education despite scoring high marks in Class 12 examinations and urged people to continue the fight until NEET is scrapped.
Following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the CJP called off its protest. The Left parties, however, announced that they would continue the agitation until NEET is abolished.
