The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has thrown down a direct challenge to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami — if he really wants NEET gone from Tamil Nadu, let him convince his ally, the BJP, to exempt the state from the exam.
TNCC President Manickam Tagore made the remarks in a post on X, accusing Palaniswami of trying to wash his hands of the decision to bring the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to Tamil Nadu in the first place.
Congress Accuses Palaniswami of Deflecting Blame on NEET Introduction
Tagore's central argument is simple: Palaniswami cannot pretend NEET was someone else's doing. The exam came to Tamil Nadu in 2017, during the AIADMK's time in government — a period when Palaniswami was at the helm as chief minister.
According to Tagore, Minister Rajesh Kumar had already set out the facts surrounding the entrance examination in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Those facts, Tagore argued, make it clear that the AIADMK leadership was responsible for the decision to implement NEET in the state.
The TNCC chief also pointed to a crucial detail: Tamil Nadu had stayed outside NEET's ambit while former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was alive. It was only after Palaniswami took over that the exam was introduced in the state in 2017.
The Challenge: Get BJP to Exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET
The core of Tagore's message is a direct challenge to Palaniswami. If the AIADMK leader genuinely wants NEET removed from Tamil Nadu, he should use his political influence to get the BJP — his alliance partner — to grant the state an exemption.
This puts Palaniswami in a difficult spot. On one hand, he has publicly supported the push for NEET exemption in Tamil Nadu. On the other, his party's alliance with the BJP at the national level makes it awkward to pressure the central government on the issue.
"Get BJP to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET, Congress tells Palaniswami." — TNCC President Manickam Tagore
The Congress's position is that Palaniswami cannot have it both ways — he cannot claim credit for opposing NEET now while being part of the government that brought it in, and he cannot demand exemption while allied with the party that has the power to grant it.
Our Take: A Political Challenge That Hits a Nerve
In our view, this is more than just a routine political spat. Tagore has identified a genuine contradiction in Palaniswami's position on NEET.
The facts are straightforward. Tamil Nadu did not have NEET while Jayalalithaa was alive. The exam came in 2017, under Palaniswami's leadership. Now, the AIADMK says it wants NEET gone — but it is allied with the BJP, which has consistently defended the exam at the national level.
Tagore's challenge is clever because it forces Palaniswami to either act on his stated position or admit that his hands are tied. If Palaniswami can get the BJP to exempt Tamil Nadu, he would be a hero in the state. If he cannot, his opposition to NEET looks like empty posturing.
For the people of Tamil Nadu, the real issue is not who gets the credit or blame for NEET — it is whether the exam will actually be scrapped. The political blame game does little to help students who are anxious about the test. What they need is a clear resolution, and that requires the kind of political will that has been missing so far.
The ball is now in Palaniswami's court. Whether he can deliver on NEET exemption — or whether he will continue to deflect — will tell voters a lot about where the AIADMK truly stands on this issue.
