Ever since the suicide of S. Anitha, a medical aspirant from Ariyalur village who was denied a medical seat due to poor score in NEET despite high marks in class 12, the anti-NEET protests in the state have gained momentum.
With the protests intensifying in the state over the past week, the Supreme Court on Friday instructed the state’s top bureaucrats to ensure there were no agitations against NEET. However, the court did not issue any blanket ban on the protests. The direction was issued by a three-justice bench, while hearing a plea filed by lawyer G.S. Mani against widespread protests after Anitha's suicide. The court further asked the Tamil Nadu government to respond before September 18 when it will review the ban on agitations. “It is the obligation of the chief secretary and home secretary to ensure that no agitation takes place in relation to NEET exams,” the court observed. The order further said that “the chief secretary shall see to it that anyone involved in any kind of bandh or activity that disrupts the normal life and detrimentally affects the law and order in the state of Tamil Nadu shall be booked under appropriate law.”
Meanwhile the opposition, under the DMK, lined up for a rally at Trichy on Friday to protest against NEET and seek justice for Anitha's death. “The court has ordered ban on protests only and not public rallies. It is a peaceful protest,” DMK working president and opposition leader M.K. Stalin said.
On the other hand, AIADMK’s rebellious leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who has been threatening to topple the government, called off his protests scheduled to be held on September 9. “I obey the court’s order,” he said, adding that he read the whole court order while travelling. The calling off of the protest has dented Dhinakaran's image at a time when the Supreme Court has not issued any blanket ban on protests.
While anti-NEET protests make headlines in the state, the fight for power and overtures for negotiations to stay in power continued in Chennai. The 21 MLAs from Dhinakaran faction on Friday set out from the Windflower resort to Orange County, Chikkanna Halli estate in Coorg to enjoy the comforts. “They were staying in Puducherry. Now they have moved to Coorg. There is nothing in it,” an amused Dhinakaran said at a press conference in Tirunelveli on Friday. Dhinakaran, whose political graph was on the rise in the AIADMK’s snake-and-ladder game for the past 15 days, has started falling out of favour among his own supporters. S.T.K. Jakkaiyan, one of the MLAs from his camp who had, reportedly, defected, called on Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal on Thursday. In fact, the Dhinakaran camp was confident of toppling the government if Chief Minister E.K. Palanisamy does not step down.
Meanwhile, MLA P. Vetrivel of Dhinakaran faction, on Friday, approached the Madras High Court, seeking ban on AIADMK general council meeting called by EPS and OPS on September 12. The AIADMK, after the merger of EPS and OPS factions, has called for its general council to elect its general secretary and other office bearers, saying that Sasikala was elected the interim general secretary. “The confusion will increase. The general council will conclude without making any decision,” says Raja Ravidran, an AIADMK office bearer from Kancheepuram. "People like me are emotionally affected in the past few days. I feel these people, be it OPS or EPS or TTV, all of them have let down Amma.”
Apparently, all AIADMK members are eagerly awaiting the September 12 general council and executive committee meeting, as they want curtains down on the present chaos in the party. “We want a strong leader like Amma. But that is impossible,” says Sundarrajan, a staunch MGR loyalist who is in the party for more than 30 years now.
