Congress regime led by Rahul Gandhi would cancel NEET if it comes to power: Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy

Rahul Gandhi had wished those appearing for NEET earlier in the day while taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On a day when the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) was held in over 200 centres across Tamil Nadu, neighbouring Puducherry's Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said a Congress regime led by Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister would cancel the examinations if they come to power at the Centre.

"We will cancel NEET if Congress regime, led by Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi, comes to power at the Centre," Narayanasamy said, according to news agency ANI.

Earlier on September 12, Narayanasamy had said that the people will teach the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government a 'lesson' during polls for playing with the lives of the youth by holding the NEET despite protests.

The Chief Minister said he had written several letters to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to drop the NEET-based selection of the students. He said NEET, designed on the basis of the CBSE syllabus, would be tough to crack as students here have been following state board syllabus. So, he said, NEET should be done away with in the interest of the students in Puducherry.

Gandhi had wished those appearing for NEET earlier in the day while taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "My best wishes to the students appearing for NEET exam and my sympathies to those who couldn't take it due to the COVID pandemic and floods. Wish Modiji was as concerned about JEE-NEET aspirants and students as he is about his crony capitalist friends," Gandhi had said.

The examinations were held on September 13 amid sporadic protests against the exam, following alleged suicides of three medical aspirants.

The protests, seeking scrapping of the national test, were staged by Left leaning student outfits, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, fringe Dravidian parties at places, including Madurai, Theni, Kumbakonam, Pudukottai, Rajapalayam and Karur, police said.

The exam, which was held between 2 pm and 5 pm, saw elaborate security arrangements and individual distancing signs marked on the ground.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' in a tweet, quoting the National Testing Agency (NTA), said around 85-90 percent students appeared in the exam nationwide.