DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday said if his party’s efforts to get 7.5% reservation for NEET-qualified state government school students in medical college admission was seen as a political game, it would wholeheartedly accept the charge of politicisation.
Addressing a demonstration organised by the DMK to press Governor Banwarilal Purohit to grant assent to the Bill seeking to implement 7.5% reservation, Mr. Stalin said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami might accuse the DMK of playing politics as he was not able to understand the issue.
“The opposition would play politics (arasiyal) and not prepare aviyal (dish),” he quipped.
Reiterating that the DMK would not rest till the Governor gave his nod to the bill, he said Mr Palaniswami “who crawled to get the Chief Minister post” could plead with the Governor to get the consent.
“We do not expect the Chief Minister to crawl before the Governor. What is the justification for occupying the Chief Minister’s seat when you are not able to request the Governor to get his assent,” Mr. Stalin said.
In a statement later, he said if the Chief Minister was keen to prove his efficiency, he should get the Governor’s assent for the Bill.
Pointing out that already 40 days had passed since the Bill was sent to the Governor for assent, Mr Stalin wondered what was the need for the Governor to take into account the legal aspects since the reservation was recommended by a retired judge Justice Kalaiyarasan.
“If the bill gets the assent around 300 government school students could get entry into medical colleges. Otherwise only eight of them can get seats. How can we remain silent in the face such a grave injustice,” he asked.
Mr. Stalin said the Governor would be under the impression that his delay would result in the AIADMK government giving up the bill. “But the DMK would not sit idle. We will adopt all the ways and means to make the Governor to give his nod to the bill,” he stressed.
He wanted to know what was the need for the Governor to delay his assent since he had travelled the state and earned a name for his active approach. “Probably he would have thought that the AIADMK government would not question him. But the DMK will question him,” he said.
