TN Assembly Spars Over Denied Permission for Anitha Memorial Event at Besant Nagar

The NEET issue sparked heated debate in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday as members marked the remembrance day of medical aspirant S Anitha, with the government and Opposition clashing over the denial of permission for a commemorative event at Besant Nagar in Chennai.

Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raised the matter in the House, questioning why the government withheld permission for the event organised by the Tamil Nadu Students Union. He stated that Anitha's brother had met him regarding the denial and urged the government to allow the memorial gathering, noting that Anitha was the first life lost to NEET in the state.

Responding to the Opposition, Minister Aadhav Arjuna explained that permission at Besant Nagar was withheld due to the anticipation of large crowds amid local religious events, specifically the Velankanni shrine festival and the Ellai Amman temple festival. He noted that the government would consider the request if the organisers chose to hold the gathering at a different location.

Udhayanidhi Stalin rejected the administration's rationale, arguing that the Velankanni shrine festival had already concluded and that organisers who inspected the site a day prior found no large crowds. Following the exchange, Aadhav Arjuna assured the Assembly that the government would immediately identify an alternative venue for the homage.

During the discussion, Aadhav Arjuna stated that former Chief Ministers MK Stalin and Edappadi K Palaniswami, alongside current Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, had all passed resolutions against NEET, though the Union Government had not accepted Tamil Nadu's demand. He added that the administration remained committed to abolishing the examination and expressed confidence in political change during the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Anitha, a 17-year-old student from Kuzhumur village in Ariyalur district, died by suicide on September 1, 2017, after the Supreme Court rejected Tamil Nadu's plea for NEET exemption. She had scored 1,176 out of 1,200 in her Class 12 exams with a medical cut-off of 196.75 out of 200, but scored 86 out of 720 in NEET, preventing her from securing a seat.