Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Defends Party, Demands NEET Scrapping in Assembly

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Tuesday delivered a speech in the state assembly, addressing criticism of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and reiterating his government's stance on key issues such as the NEET exam and the two-language policy.

Vijay responded to detractors who have labelled TVK an 'actor's party', highlighting the party's performance in the recent April-May election. He stated, "We didn't get power easily. Only we know the struggles we faced to get a place in the heart of the Tamil people… a few will act as if they don't understand and criticise us, saying, 'he is just an actor and the party is just an actor's party'." He added that his party overcame "conspiracies and restrictions" and secured 35 per cent of the vote, asserting that TVK's politics is transparent and that there is still work to be done.

On the National Entrance-Eligibility Test (NEET), Vijay argued that the single exam system "creates inequality" and called for its scrapping. Tamil Nadu has long opposed NEET, citing student suicides and controversies over leaked question papers. Vijay proposed that medical admissions should be based on Class 12 marks instead.

Addressing the issue of language imposition, Vijay reaffirmed support for the state's two-language policy, which includes Tamil and English. He said this policy is sufficient, pushing back against what he described as the centre's imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states.

Vijay also expressed grief over the Karur stampede, which occurred during a rally he was scheduled to address, and in which 41 people died. He rejected allegations blaming TVK for the tragedy, calling them "atrocious." The remarks were seen as a response to previous criticism from former Chief Minister MK Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Drawing historical parallels, Vijay noted that in 1967, CN Annadurai formed a government for the common people; in 1977, MG Ramachandran did the same; and in 2026, his government follows that tradition. He also indirectly criticised the DMK for dynastic politics, stating that TVK's politics is not about "giving importance to one family" but to every family in Tamil Nadu.