'Why did you take so long to start dialogue?': Annamalai questions Centre on NEET protest, but cautions students

Former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Wednesday questioned the Centre over what he called its delayed engagement with students protesting the alleged NEET paper leak. He also argued that repeated leaks had undermined confidence in an examination he had long defended.

Annamalai, who quit the BJP in June, said he had consistently supported the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) because it created a uniform admission process and gave students from underprivileged backgrounds a fair opportunity to pursue medical education.

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However, he said the examination system was now failing.

“In the last 5 years, the NEET UG question paper has leaked thrice. Imagine the amount of pressure that it puts on students, who had to go through the examination process yet another time when the system that was supposed to bring in uniformity was failing. Yet there was no accountability, and I believe strongly that it was that moment that brought in a shift in the minds of the students to take to the streets to cry their hearts out,” he wrote.

‘WHAT KEPT YOU WAITING?’

Calling protest a democratic right, Annamalai questioned why the government waited until the agitation had escalated before reaching out to students.

“Protest is a fundamental right in a Democracy. The pertinent question, however, is this: why did the BJP-led Central Government take so long to initiate a dialogue with the protestors? Why was meaningful engagement delayed until the protest had escalated to a flashpoint? What kept you waiting?” he said.

His remarks came a day after protests intensified in Delhi, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led a demonstration outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence against Delhi Police’s action on student protesters.

Police resorted to a lathi charge at some locations to disperse the crowd, leaving some students injured.

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ANNAMALAI WARNS AGAINST ‘VESTED INTERESTS’

While backing the students’ right to protest, Annamalai also cautioned organisers against allowing the movement to be diverted from its original purpose.

The students and the people who are leading them also have a responsibility here, Annamalai said, adding that it is natural that when a protest stays on for weeks, “people with vested interests will take the stage to air views that are either completely irrelevant to the initial demands of the protests or would try to completely hijack it to serve their agenda.”

“If you remain silent and let these people with vested interests further their agenda, then you are deviating from your core objectives. Please do not let it happen!” he wrote on X.

CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY

Annamalai urged the Centre to engage with students and address their concerns without further delay.

“I urge the BJP-led Central Government to engage in meaningful dialogue, uphold transparency, and take swift, appropriate action to address the concerns at hand. The strength of any nation lies in the confidence its youth place in its institutions. If our students lose faith in the fairness and credibility of our education system, we are jeopardising the future of our nation,” he said.

Earlier today, activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite fast since June 28, said he would end his protest if the government assured that no legal or punitive action would be taken against students.