DMK to protest at Governor's House over delay in nod for 7.5% reservation Bill, slams ADMK

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin announced that the party would stage a protest in front of the Governor's House on October 24 over Banwari Lal Purohit's delay in giving his assent to the 7.5% reservation bill for students in the state of Tamil Nadu. 

Hitting out at the AIADMK for not applying pressure on Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, MK Stalin said that the EPS-led government was betraying the people of Tamil Nadu despite DMK's call to unite to protest against the Governor. The DMK chief on Wednesday said that the party was ready to join forces with the AIADMK government and protest for getting the 7.5% quota in medical admissions for state-run school students.

MK Stalin had earlier written to the Tamil Nadu Governor, apprising him of the legislation that was unanimously passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. In reply to MK Stalin's letter, the Governor sought 3-4 weeks' time to arrive at a decision and that he was having the matter examined from all the angles. 

However, with no response from Governor Banwari Lal Purohit so far and upset with the silence of the ruling AIADMK, MK Stalin announced a solo protest by the DMK in front of the Governor's residence on Saturday. 

READ | DMK Says Its Ready To Protest Alongside AIADMK Over 7.5 Pc Quota In Medical Admission For Govt School Students

DMK to protest against Governor over his delay in giving nod

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Stalin's letter to Governor Banwari Lal Purohit

In his letter to the Governor, Stalin said government school students could benefit from the reservation in this academic year itself only if the Governor gave his assent to the bill "without further delay." He recalled that DMK, the principal opposition party in the state, had supported the TN Admission to Undergraduate Courses in Medicine, Dentistry, Indian Medicine and Homeopathy on Preferential Basis to the students of the Government Schools Bill 2020 in the assembly. Stalin noted that his party has been demanding scrapping of NEET which acted as a "hindrance" for rural and urban poor to pursue medicine.

READ | MK Stalin Hits Out At AIADMK, Calls Arumughaswamy Commission "an Eyewash"

Governor's response to Stalin

Pressure mounts on TN Governor

VCK MP Thol Thirumavalan had written to President Kovind, urging him to recall Governor Banwari Lal Purohit as the legislation for providing horizontal reservation to government school students in medical education was passed unanimously in the Tamil Nadu assembly and that it was well within the constitutional provision. Citing the SC & Madras HC verdicts from earlier in 2020 that upheld the power of the state government to pass laws providing quota within quota, Thirumavalan said that the Governor was not just creating an obstacle for students who had already cleared the NEET exam but was also triggering a constitutional crisis in the state.    

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