A heated exchange over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in Parliament saw Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu deliver a roast as a rebuttal to DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, linking Tamil Nadu’s opposition to reforms with the State allegedly losing investments to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
As reported in The Hindu, participating in the discussion on NEET, Devarayalu advocated structural reforms instead of scrapping the examination. He called for the creation of a national question bank and decentralised question paper-setting committees.
“Create a national question bank and decentralise the question paper setting. This will be fairer,” Lavu said.
But what he said earlier was what turned everyone’s heads.
Earlier in the debate, Maran had argued that it was “Gen Z” students who had compelled Parliament to discuss NEET after the government allegedly attempted to “brush it under the carpet.” He also criticised the handling of student protests, citing police action, internet restrictions and the use of Meta glasses by law enforcement before ending his speech with the call to “ban NEET.”
As Dayanidhi Maran Maran concluded his address with the remark, “Let’s ban NEET,” Devarayalu immediately hit back with a stinging response that drew attention in the House.
“You want to ban everything in Tamil Nadu. That is the reason why we are getting all the industries from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh. Keep doing that. Thank you.”
His remark was widely seen as a direct swipe at the DMK government’s repeated demands to abolish NEET and what he portrayed as a broader tendency to seek bans rather than reforms.
The ban everything culture of #DMK is costing Tamil Nadu dearly!
Exposing @Dayanidhi_Maran in Parliament, Andhra Pradesh MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu clearly stated that this regressive mindset is exactly why massive investments and industries are fleeing TN and flowing into… pic.twitter.com/CGathJKXsm
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) July 29, 2026
Devarayalu’s rejoinder shifted the debate beyond the examination itself, asserting that Tamil Nadu’s “ban everything” approach was driving investments and industries to Andhra Pradesh.
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