Tamil Rapper Arivu Detained Briefly at Chennai Secretariat Protesting NEET
Popular Tamil rapper Arivu (Arivarasu Kalainesan) was briefly detained by the Greater Chennai City police on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) as he and three others attempted to stage a protest near the Secretariat demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
According to a senior police officer, the group gathered at the entrance of the Secretariat and raised slogans against NEET. They also sought action against the police for the crackdown on protesters during a march to Parliament in Delhi. The officer stated, “We picked up Arivu and three others as they were staging a protest near the Secretariat, a high-security zone. They were later released.”
Following their release, Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna invited Arivu to his chamber in the Secretariat to discuss the protesters' concerns. The meeting was described as cordial, though no immediate statement was issued regarding any policy changes.
Arivu, whose real name is Arivarasu Kalainesan, is widely known for his Tamil independent music, including the hit song Enjoy Enjaami, and film tracks such as Vaathi Raid from Master (2021), Single Pasanga from Natpe Thunai (2019), and Golden Sparrow from Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam. He also contributed to Thalapathy Kacheri from Jana Nayagan (2026), a film starring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
The NEET examination, a common entrance test for medical courses in India, has been a subject of controversy in Tamil Nadu, with several political parties and activists calling for its abolition, arguing it disadvantages students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds. The protest by Arivu and others is the latest in a series of demonstrations against the test.
