CHENNAI: Nearly nine years after the death of medical aspirant S Anitha, which became a rallying point for Tamil Nadu's campaign against the NEET, her brother, S Manirathinam, on Saturday launched an indefinite hunger strike in Chennai, demanding the abolition of the national medical entrance examination and justice for students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds.

Members of the Anti-NEET Joint Action Committee began the protest at Thiruvalluvar Illam, the headquarters of the Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi, in Chinmaya Nagar, Koyambedu. Besides seeking the scrapping of NEET, the protesters also demanded the withdrawal of cases registered against students who participated in the recent anti-NEET demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The organisers said the hunger strike would continue indefinitely until the Union government abolishes NEET.

Speaking to DT Next, Manirathinam said the committee had sought police permission to hold the protest on a larger scale at a public venue. However, after permission was denied, the protesters decided to launch the indefinite fast at the party office.

"The protest will continue peacefully until our demand for the abolition of NEET is fulfilled," he said. Manirathinam also said education should be brought back to the State List to enable states to decide their own admission policies and eventually, abolish NEET. He termed the registration of cases against students who protested at Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination as unjust and demanded that all such cases be withdrawn immediately.