Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 18 (ANI): Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday staged a protest at the ESI Hospital premises in Coimbatore, demanding justice for Anu Keerthana, a NEET aspirant who allegedly died by suicide.
The protesters declared that they would not receive her body until appropriate relief and justice are ensured for her family.
Anu Keerthana was the daughter of Senthil Prabhu, President of the Coimbatore District TASMAC Employees' Union. Following her death, her body was brought from a private hospital to the Coimbatore ESI Hospital, where a post-mortem was conducted.
More than 100 CPI(M) cadres participated in a protest within the hospital premises, urging the government to provide adequate compensation and relief to the bereaved family. Protesters stated that they would continue their agitation and refuse to take possession of the student's body until their demands are met.
They alleged that in previous cases involving student deaths linked to NEET-related stress, governments had promptly announced compensation and support measures. However, they claimed that no such announcement had been made by the present government.
The protesters also criticised the government, stating that no ministers had personally visited the family to offer condolences, describing this as an insensitive response to the tragedy.
The demonstrators further said they would not leave the hospital premises until officials engage in direct talks with them and take their demands to the attention of the government.
During the protest, CPI(M) members alleged that irregularities in the NEET examination system had affected lakhs of students across the country.
They also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him responsible for the alleged issues surrounding the examination.
Following the protest, a large number of police personnel were deployed at the ESI Hospital premises to maintain law and order.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also addressed the issues regarding the re-examination of NEET after the alleged suicide of two aspirants in Sikar and Dehradun.
In a message shared on the social media platform X, Gandhi mourned the recent tragic loss of two young lives--Umesh in Sikar and Riya in Dehradun--who died allegedly by suicide amid the "pressure" surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
"I've set out for Kota, but two names are echoing in my heart: Umesh and Riya. Yesterday, Umesh in Sikar and Riya in Dehradun--both ended their lives under the pressure of Re-NEET. 22- and 23-year-old kids--who were meant to soar in the open skies of their dreams--lost to this unjust system," Gandhi said.
Calling the deaths a result of an "unjust, broken, and corrupt system" that has failed to protect its youth, Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Union government.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination will be conducted on June 21, from 2:00 pm to 5:15 pm. The National Testing Agency (NTA) scheduled the retest following the cancellation of the May 3 exam due to a paper leak. (ANI)
