CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday condemned the arrest of rapper Therukkural Arivu for protesting against the NEET examination.
According to videos and reports, Arivu was detained by the police while protesting outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat in Chennai but was later invited to meet Chief Minister Vijay in person and discussed the issue with him. After the meeting, he was accompanied by Minister Aadhav Arjuna till the exit, as seen in videos.
Therukkural Arivu had staged the protest demanding that Chief Minister Vijay raise his voice against NEET. He was detained by the police and later brought back to the Secretariat before meeting Vijay.
In a post on X, Udhayanidhi criticised the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government for arresting Therukkural Arivu, whom he described as his dear brother.
He said Arivu's voice reflects the feelings and demands of lakhs of people across Tamil Nadu and the country. Udhayanidhi also said the arrest came at a time when protests and rallies against NEET were intensifying across India.
Udhayanidhi said the action against Arivu sends a worrying message to Tamil Nadu's youth who are planning to take to the streets in support of young people protesting against NEET in Delhi.
He alleged that the NEET examination is not only filled with irregularities but has also become a major scam. "The voices raised against NEET should be heard and not suppressed," he said.