‘Why Wait So Long?’ Ex-BJP Tamil Nadu Chief Annamalai Urges Govt To Engage With Protesters

Last Updated:July 22, 2026, 16:58 IST

Calling protest a "fundamental right in a democracy", the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief questioned the government's handling of the agitation.

NEET Protest: Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, who recently parted ways with the saffron party, on Wednesday targeted the Central government and questioned over the delay in initiating talks with protesters demanding accountability over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, asking why meaningful engagement came only after the agitation had escalated.

In a long post on X, the former BJP leader said that he has consistently supported the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), arguing that it brought uniformity in admissions and offered students from underprivileged backgrounds a fair opportunity to pursue medical education.

However, he said repeated question paper leaks had severely undermined confidence in the examination system. Annamalai said the repeated leaks had forced students to repeatedly undergo the examination process, despite the system that was meant to ensure fairness failing them.

“In the last 5 years, the NEET UG question paper has leaked thrice. Imagine the amount of pressure that it puts on students, who had to go through the examination process yet another time when the system that was supposed to bring in uniformity was failing. Yet there was no accountability, and I believe strongly that it was that moment that brought in a shift in the minds of the students to take to the streets to cry their hearts out," he said.

Calling protest a “fundamental right in a democracy", the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief questioned the government’s handling of the agitation.

“The pertinent question, however, is this: why did the BJP-led Central Government take so long to initiate a dialogue with the protesters? Why was meaningful engagement delayed until the protest had escalated to a flashpoint? What kept you waiting?" he asked.

Additionally, he further cautioned the protest leaders against allowing the movement to be diverted from its original objective.

He said prolonged protests often attract individuals with vested interests who attempt to hijack the movement by introducing unrelated issues or advancing their own agenda.

“If you remain silent and let these people with vested interests further their agenda, then you are deviating from your core objectives. Please do not let it happen," he said.

Urging the Centre to act decisively, Annamalai called for transparent communication and meaningful engagement with the students.

“I urge the BJP-led Central Government to engage in meaningful dialogue, uphold transparency, and take swift, appropriate action to address the concerns at hand," he said.

He added that the country’s future depends on students’ trust in public institutions.

“The strength of any nation lies in the confidence its youth place in its institutions. If our students lose faith in the fairness and credibility of our education system, we are jeopardising the future of our nation," Annamalai said.

Annamalai, widely regarded as ‘Singham’, who recently quit the BJP following differences within the party over its electoral strategy for Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, expressed his concern as students from across the country and activists of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical collective, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar and others parts of Central Delhi demanding accountability for repeated examination paper leaks and also seeking resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest witnessed clashes, tear gas shelling, allegations of excessive force by police, counter-allegations of violence by protesters, detentions, and widespread disruption across central Delhi.

Earlier, he also questioned the extensive security arrangements put in place for the NEET-UG re-exam. He took a dig at the Centre’s multi-layered security framework for the retest, which includes CRPF and CISF escorts for question papers, Indian Air Force airlift support, AI-enabled CCTV surveillance, biometric and facial recognition checks, multiple rounds of frisking and monitoring by the Prime Minister’s Office.

On May 12, the NTA cancelled the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET, held on May 3 for medical admissions amid allegations of paper leak.

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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