Actor-turned-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin has on Wednesday made his maiden speech in the assembly since he was elected as an MLA. The son of DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi had contested from DMK's stronghold Chepauk-Triplicane constituency in Chennai in the recently-held assembly polls. Besides being a first-time contender to the assembly, Udhayanidhi had also become a star campaigner for the party as he travelled across Tamil Nadu seeking votes for the party.

Udhayanidhi Stalin had contested in Chepauk-Triplicane against PMK candidate Kassali and won the race in the margin of around 70,000 votes and entered the assembly for the first time. The budget session of the assembly is currently taking place and recently, MK Stalin had marked his 100 days in office as the Chief Minister. The assembly session has been hosted by the Kalaivar Arangam and on Wednesday, Udhayanidhi Stalin has made his maiden speech in the assembly as an MLA. His speech has turned heads and drawn huge attention across the state.

While speaking in the assembly, Udhyanidhi Stalin had demanded the DMK government to act on repealing the NEET exam, as it has been one of the poll promises of the party. He said around 14 students including Anitha had committed suicide due to the NEET, which had collapsed the dreams of medical aspirants in wake of its hasty introduction. Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the parents of the students had demanded to revoke the national examination. The Chief Minister has promised that the medical exam will be repealed.

He stated that everyone has to unite and carry out measures to repeal the NEET and such a campaign should culminate into a movement. Udhayanidhi Stalin has demanded the DMK government to name the under-construction medical college in Ariyalur after Anitha, who was a native of Ariyalur, and committed suicide after she failed to clear the NEET exam to secure a medical seat and to chase her dream of becoming a doctor. She died on September 1, 2017, at the age of 17 and Udhayanidhi had visited her family members following her demise and the DMK had strengthened its campaign against the NEET. 

Speaking at the assembly on Wednesday, Udhayanidhi has further urged the DMK government to withdraw the cases that were filed by the previous regime against the people and activists for protesting against the national exam. After his speech, Chief Minister MK Stalin has responded to Udhayanidhi's demand and said that regardless of political differences, all parties in Tamil Nadu must work together to repeal the NEET. After the DMK came to power, the government has formed a committee under retired judge AK Rajan to review and study the impact of the NEET on the students. 

By highlighting that the committee has disclosed the report, MK Stalin has assured that this report will be considered legally and the government will introduce a relevant bill to repeal the NEET exam in the ongoing assembly session. The Chief Minister took to social media and released his assembly speech in which he assured the house of the bill to repeal the national exam, as per the promise made by the party in the recently-held assembly polls.

#NEET விவகாரத்தில் கட்சி வேறுபாடுகளைக் கடந்து நாம் அனைவரும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து குரல் கொடுக்க வேண்டும்!

ஓய்வு பெற்ற நீதியரசர் திரு. ஏ.கே.ராஜன் குழுவின் அறிக்கையானது சட்ட ரீதியாகப் பரிசீலிக்கப்பட்டு , இந்தக் கூட்டத் தொடரிலேயே உரிய சட்டமுன்வடிவு கொண்டு வரப்படும். pic.twitter.com/Wq86Ai6ia8

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 18, 2021