Tamil Nadu MLA Questions Arivu's Custody Amid NEET Demonstrations

Udayanidhi Stalin, a senior opposition member in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, raised concerns on Tuesday over the police handling of rapper Arivarsu Kalanisen, known as Therukural Arivu. The activist was arrested while staging a protest outside the Secretariat demanding a hard line against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. Stalin alleged that the ruling party is using state machinery to silence those who challenge NEET. After his brief detention, Arivu was called back for a meeting with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, where he restated his call for the state to intensify efforts to eliminate the exam. A video circulating on X shows Minister Aadhav Arun releasing Arivu at the secretariat gate. Stalin stated that the pre‑meeting arrest sent mixed signals and infringed on democratic freedoms.