BJP's Annamalai 'Exposes' How DMK Sold Out Medical Merit List For Party Donations During Pre-NEET Era (WATCH)

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) In a scathing accusation against the DMK, BJP leader Annamalai has alleged that the party engaged in unethical practices related to medical admissions prior to the introduction of the NEET examination. Annamalai took to social media platform X to reveal a video implicating DMK veteran and former health Minister Thiru Arcot Veerasamy in a controversial admission scandal.

Annamalai's post on X detailed how during the DMK regime, the party allegedly obtained and shared MBBS rank lists with private medical colleges. According to Annamalai, this practice allowed these colleges to preemptively offer admission to students who were also selected for government medical colleges. He claimed that after the official admission process concluded, these students would then switch to government colleges, leaving their seats in private institutions to be sold under the management quota.

'What DMK did during their regime was even before the results (MBBS) were announced they collected the rank list and shared it with private medical colleges. And what did the private colleges do? They provided medical seats to students who already got admission in govt medical colleges. After 15 days when the MBBS admission counselling happen, the students who got admission in private colleges will get admission in govt medical colleges as well on merit basis. The students would obviously not take up the reserved admission provided in private medical colleges. After the counselling is over the private medical colleges sell those seats under management quota. That is the secret," Annamalai said.

The video accompanying Annamalai's statement featured excerpts of Thiru Arcot Veerasamy admitting to facilitating these transactions during his tenure as Health Minister. Veerasamy reportedly acknowledged receiving substantial financial contributions from MAM Ramaswamy, owner of a medical college, in exchange for early access to the rank lists.

"At the times of financial needs, Karunanidhi would ask me to arrange for the same in the capacity of a treasurer. And how do I do it? I would go to MAM Ramaswamy's house. MAM Ramaswamy is a well-wisher of me. He used to visit my home when I was the minister. Because he owned a medical college and I used to be the health minister, he would ask for a copy of the rank list. I would ask him why. He would say the students selected in the list would anyway opt for govt medical colleges and we (private medical colleges) would fill those vacant seats. That's the reason he used to say for getting the copy. I would also send him the same. Since I used to have good connection with him I would initially go and ask him for funds. Rs 1 crore or Rs 2 crore is peanuts for him. If I press him he would give me a minimum of Rs 5 crore," the DMK veteran was heard as saying.

The state BJP chief's tweet coincided with a protest by the DMK's student wing against NEET, reaffirming the party's call for abolishing the central medical admissions test. Recently, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed another resolution seeking exemption from NEET for the state.

The DMK has long opposed NEET, arguing that it undermines social justice and state rights. The party insists that medical admissions should be based on marks obtained in class 12 exams.

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