Published Jul 22, 2026 | 11:03 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 22, 2026 | 11:03 AM
Alisa and Rihana
Synopsis: Students and youth across Tamil Nadu have launched protests following the Delhi Police crackdown on anti-NEET demonstrators on July 20. While some demand the complete abolition of NEET, others say the real issue lies in the system and alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
Support is mounting in Tamil Nadu for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led youth movement demanding the resignation of Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET (UG)-2026 and CBSE gaffes, as well as broader reforms in the conduct of examinations.
The supporters expressed anger and anguish over the police brutality unleashed on the CJP activists and supporters — mostly students and youth from various parts of the country — on Monday, 20 July.
They came out in solidarity with the protesting youth in Delhi after the police had used force.
Students and youth joined the protests through spontaneous demonstrations and mobilisations led by Left-affiliated student organisations.
More than 100 young protesters have been staging a sit-in at Balan Illam, the CPI’s Tamil Nadu state headquarters, since the night of 20 July.
Similarly, over 100 members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), affiliated with the CPI(M), held a protest in Chennai’s Egmore on the night of 21 July.
Police detained them and later released them. Both organisations have since announced plans for sustained protests.
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What are the protesters demanding?
South First visited the protest sites and spoke to several participants.
While many demanded the abolition of NEET, others argued that the examination itself is not the problem, but the alleged irregularities and lack of transparency in its conduct.
Among those participating was Rihana, a single mother in her 50s with three graduate sons. She said her dream was to see one of them become a doctor, but financial constraints prevented them from attending expensive NEET coaching classes.
“The main reason I joined this protest is that I cannot accept children losing their lives because of education. I am protesting for my children. When we studied, there was no such pressure. There is no need to impose this kind of pressure on students. NEET should be abolished immediately,” she demanded.
Another protester, Alisa, from Chennai, said she was deeply disturbed after watching videos of the police action against students in Delhi.
“What is happening in India is shocking. Students are fighting for their basic rights. I felt it was important to raise my voice, and that’s why I came here,” she said.
Unlike some others, Alisa said NEET is not the issue.
“Neither NEET nor Dharmendra Pradhan is not the problem. The problem is the system. We are not demanding a complete ban on NEET. We are only asking that examinations be conducted fairly and transparently,” she said.
Another participant, Divyadharshini, said the CJP’s primary demand is to eliminate irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET and the Civil Services Examination.
“There are irregularities across several competitive examinations. Just as the 2016 Marina protest began with Jallikattu and later expanded to discuss issues like GST and demonetisation, this movement will also grow into a broader people’s movement,” she said.
Divyadarshini said the growing anger among students stems from the direct impact these examinations have on their future.
“These exams directly affect the livelihoods and futures of students and young people. That anger has brought lakhs of students onto the streets. This movement will continue to grow and begin addressing wider social issues. Farmers in Punjab have already started protesting,” she added.
However, another protester, Thittu, said scrapping NEET is the movement’s primary and most important objective.
“Tamil Nadu has a long history of leading people’s movements. But we are not united on this issue. We may have ideological differences, but we must come together for the future of students. I urge everyone to join this protest,” he said.
When asked about the position of the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Thittu said: “He must first openly declare that he stands with students because that is one of the promises on which he came to power. At the same time, we as students also have a responsibility. We cannot simply wait for someone else to speak for us.”
Meanwhile, SFI and DYFI have announced that their protests will continue.
Anand, South Chennai district secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), said, “We have announced a series of continuous protests. We will gather on the streets every day until this issue is resolved. No matter how many times we are arrested, we will not give up.”
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Tamil Nadu government’s position
Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed NEET since its introduction. Successive governments have passed resolutions in the Assembly and adopted political resolutions demanding the abolition of the examination.
The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has also consistently maintained, both before and after coming to power, that it opposes NEET.
However, criticism has emerged over the fact that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has not yet made a direct public statement regarding the protests that have been taking place in Delhi for more than three weeks.
Following the Delhi police action, the TVK’s official X account issued a statement condemning the incident. However, the statement described the events as a “clash” between the police and protesters, a wording that drew criticism from some quarters.
Later, Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna expressed solidarity with the protesting students through a statement on X.
Aadhav Arjuna said Tamil Nadu was the first state to oppose NEET when the entrance examination was proposed and that its resistance has continued ever since. He said the voice raised by Tamil Nadu is now being echoed across the country, with students holding peaceful demonstrations against the examination.
Condemning the Union government’s actions, the minister alleged that students participating in peaceful protests were forcibly detained, assaulted and arrested instead of having their concerns addressed.
He also criticised the detention of the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi, who had joined the protest in support of the students. Arjuna described their alleged manhandling and arrest by the Delhi Police as an attack on democratic rights.
Calling on the Union government to recognise the concerns of students, the minister demanded the immediate abolition of NEET and reiterated the demand to move education back to the State List.
He further said the Tamil Nadu government would continue its efforts to abolish NEET and would always stand with students, supporting their democratic right to protest.
Despite the minister’s statement, critics continue to point out that Chief Minister Vijay has not yet personally expressed his support for the ongoing protests.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
