AIADMK hid President’s dissent on NEET bills: Stalin

Chennai, July 10 (IANS) DMK MLAs on Wednesday walked out of the Assembly condemning the state government for being silent for 21 months after the President returned two bills passed by the House.

Speaking to reporters, party President M.K. Stalin said the Assembly had passed two legislations seeking exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college admissions on February 1, 2017.

Stalin said the bills were sent for the President's assent but the central government in its letter dated September 22, 2017 to the state government said the bills were sent back by the President.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said all these days the AIADMK government has been maintaining that the government will strive to get the President's assent.

He said the Assembly could have taken up the issue and passed a resolution and sent back the bills within six months of the President sending them back.

Pointing out the missed opportunity, Stalin said the Assembly had met several times in the past and the state government could have informed the House about the issue.

Even in their poll manifesto, the AIADMK had said the party will urge the central government to get the President's assent, Stalin said.

"The state government was not interested in getting exemption from NEET. Why did the government hide the receipt of the central government's letter?" Stalin said.

Earlier in the Assembly, Stalin said Law Minister C.V. Shanmugam should resign owning moral responsibility for informing the House that the President had withheld his assent while not sharing the information that the bills were returned.