Senior BJP leader and Tamil Nadu BJP Coordination Committee Convenor H Raja has criticized the DMK and its leadership for its blatant hypocrisy regarding the NEET medical entrance exam. While publicly opposing NEET in Tamil Nadu, but its leaders privately ensure their own children prepare for and appear in the same exam.
According to reports, over 1.5 lakh students from Tamil Nadu registered for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) held on 4 May 2025, with approximately 20,000 students appearing from Chennai district alone.
What drew particular public attention was the presence of the grandson of former DMK Forest Minister K. Ponmudi at an exam centre in Chetpet, Chennai accompanied by his father and former DMK MP, Gautham Sigamani.. The incident sparked criticism because, despite the DMK’s ongoing opposition to NEET, their own family members are participating in it. This mirrors similar criticism the party faces over its opposition to Hindi imposition, while simultaneously running CBSE schools that offer Hindi as a language option.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, H. Raja mocked the situation, and questioned, “The scene where the grandson of former DMK Minister Mr. Ponmudi goes to write the NEET exam. Is the DMK’s preaching only meant for others? Not for the Dravidian Stocks?”
திமுக முன்னாள் அமைச்சர் திரு.பொன்முடி அவர்களின் பேரன் நீட் தேர்வு எழுத செல்லும் காட்சி.
திமுகவின் உபதேசம் ஊருக்கு மட்டும் தானா?
Dravidian Stock களுக்கு இல்லையா? pic.twitter.com/NLemL64Zr1— H Raja (@HRajaBJP) May 5, 2025
This criticism was specifically directed at former DMK Minister K. Ponmudi, who, during his tenure as Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister in 2022, had openly questioned the fairness of NEET. Speaking at the 10th edition of The New Indian Express‘ ThinkEdu Conclave, Ponmudi remarked, “How can you evaluate 12 years of education with just a three-hour exam?”—a statement that underscored the DMK-led government’s firm opposition to the NEET system.
In 2021, the DMK had reaffirmed its unwavering stance against NEET, making it clear that there was no shift in policy. An official statement was issued to counter media speculation, reiterating that the State government supported medical admissions based on students’ performance in their Plus Two board exams, not through centralized entrance tests. During a virtual high-level meeting on educational policy, both Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi reaffirmed this position, emphasizing the government’s continued resistance to NEET for professional course admissions.
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