Published Jul 21, 2026 | 9:13 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 22, 2026 | 8:33 AM
Rapper Arivu
Synopsis: Rapper Arivu and four others were briefly detained after raising slogans outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai, demanding the abolition of NEET. Subsequently, Arivu met Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna at the Secretariat. Filmmaker Pa Ranjith expressed solidarity with the student protests and condemned the use of force against students in New Delhi.
Rapper Arivu and four others were briefly detained by the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday, 21 July, after raising slogans demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) outside the State Secretariat in Chennai.
The demonstration was held in solidarity with the tens of thousands of protesters, most of them students, who were lathi-charged and tear-gassed by the Delhi Police during the Sansad Chalo march (Parliament March) organised by the CJP on Monday.
The march demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the repeated failures in the conduct of examinations such as NEET-UG.
Following the detention, a few officials escorted Arivu to the office of Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna. After the meeting, Arjuna accompanied Arivu to his vehicle.
It was earlier reported that Arivu met Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The rapper later clarified that he had met only Arjuna.
In a statement, Arivu said he conveyed to the minister that the violence unleashed on students protesting in Delhi was undemocratic and urged the Tamil Nadu government to support the student movement and intensify its efforts to abolish NEET.
Arivu reiterated that NEET has created fear and uncertainty among students, arguing that the examination has already claimed several young lives and continues to pose a serious threat to students’ mental well-being.
He also expressed his full solidarity with protesting students across India.
Also Read: Chief Minister Vijay, Wangchuk and a collective swelling of chests
Filmmaker Pa Ranjith extended his support to Arivu’s protest, terming the student protests taking place across the country as a manifestation of ‘the collective anger and agitation of a generation that refuses to accept a government which continues to gamble with the futures of millions of young people.’
“From the streets of Delhi to protests across different states, from artists like Arivu raising their voice against NEET leading up to meeting the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, all students, parents, workers and citizens demanding justice across the country, making it a people’s movement. It reflects a shared angst and demand for accountability from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the Union Government for the repeated failures of our public education system,” he said in a post on X.
What began as a demand for accountability has become the collective anger and agitation of a generation that refuses to accept a government which continues to gamble with the futures of millions of young people.
From the streets of Delhi to protests across different states, from…
— pa.ranjith (@beemji) July 21, 2026
Ranjith condemned the use of force against student protesters, saying it was indicative of the ‘government’s unwillingness to answer legitimate democratic questions.’
“Repression cannot become a substitute for accountability,” he said.
“It is equally heartening to witness young people across the Indian diaspora standing in solidarity and raising their voices globally. This struggle belongs to every young person whose future is being placed at stake.”
The filmmaker also expressed solidarity with Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad and urged ‘artists, activists, students, trade unions, people’s movements and every citizen who believes in democracy to stand in unequivocal solidarity with the protests.’
(This copy and its headline were updated with Arivu’s clarification at 8.31 am on Wednesday, 22 July).
