Counter affidavit ready in BJP leader’s case against TN’s NEET committee, Centre tells HC

The Centre on Monday knowledgeable the Madras High Court that it shall file its counter affidavit by the tip of the day or by Tuesday, to a case filed by BJP State secretary K. Nagarajan difficult the structure of the Justice A.K. Rajan committee. The State authorities had constituted the panel final month to check the influence of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on medical admissions.

Appearing earlier than Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, Additional Solicitor General R. Sankaranarayanan mentioned the Centre’s counter affidavit was ready and that it could be filed in the court docket both by the tip of the day or on Tuesday. He additionally agreed to serve copies of the counter affidavit on the writ petitioner in addition to quite a few political events, organisations and people who needed to get impleaded in the case.

Since the Centre’s counter affidavit was important to resolve the case and in addition as a result of quite a few impleading petitions in assist of the committee had been filed, the primary Division Bench determined to listen to all of them dedicatedly in the afternoon session on July 13. It ordered that the Centre’s affidavit must be filed by July 8 and served on the counsel for the DK, DMK, MDMK, CPI and others who needed to get impleaded.

The judges mentioned they might not formally enable all of them get impleaded in the case since it would result in confusion. Nevertheless, all of them will surely be given the chance of a listening to, because the subject was of some significance and all stakeholders should be heard, the Chief Justice remarked.

Advocate General R. Shunmugasundaram mentioned he had already filed a counter affidavit on behalf of the State authorities and was ready to argue the case. Senior Counsel P. Wilson, representing a scholar who needed to get impleaded, mentioned he had circulated all judgements associated to the case. He went on to state that the structure of a committee on the problem was not new and referred to Justice P. Kalaiyarasan committee’s suggestions which led to the 7.5% reservation for presidency college college students in medical admissions.

In reply, advocate V. Raghavachari, representing Mr. Nagarajan, mentioned: “Yes, there’s nothing new. All arguments against NEET have already been taken into consideration by the Supreme Court and rejected. There’s resistance to NEET only in Tamil Nadu. It is a political game and it must end.” Mr. Wilson retorted saying: “You are a political party and so you will always think in political terms.” Accusing the petitioner of getting approached the court docket in the garb of a public curiosity litigation petition, he mentioned: “There’s no public interest at all in his case. It is a motivated litigation and I will substantiate it. This is an ideological clash in Tamil Nadu.”

Continuing the arguments, Mr. Raghavachari mentioned: “I am concerned only about legality and not ideology. Anyway, Mr. Wilson can reserve his arguments for July 13.”

Concurring with him, the Chief Justice lightened the temper by quipping: “Absolutely. Both of you can get size 16 boxing gloves on that day.”