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Today in Politics: All-party meeting on NEET in TN; Congress to deliberate on two resolutions on day 2 of AICC session

AIADMK opts out of Stalin-convened meeting, terms it “drama; Goyal may meet exports over US tariff issue

Chief Minister M K Stalin had on April 4 informed that the Assembly resolution seeking NEET exemption for the state, that was sent for Presidential assent, has been declined. (File Photo)

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday has convened a meeting of the leaders of all legislature parties in the state over the NEET issue.

Terming it as a “drama”, and claiming “it served no purpose” as people are outraged over the ruling party’s alleged failure to ensure its “cancellation,” AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday said his party will give the meeting a miss. .

Chief Minister M K Stalin had on April 4 informed that the Assembly resolution seeking NEET exemption for the state, that was sent for Presidential assent, has been declined.

In a party statement, Palaniswami said that Stalin and his son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi had ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls, gave false promises over ‘abolishing’ NEET.

They had claimed they knew the ‘secret’ to do away with the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) and that the first signature post the DMK government taking over would be in this connection.

AICC to deliberate on two resolutions

The Congress will hold extensive discussions on two resolutions – one on the state of politics in the country and another on Gujarat politics – on the second day of the AICC session in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

Briefing reporters after the Extended Congress Working Committee meeting at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial, K C Venugopal said a special resolution on Patel has been passed on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.

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Accusing the BJP and RSS of spreading lies, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Nehru and Patel shared a unique bond and a “jugalbandi”.

Ramesh said one resolution on Gujarat and another on national issues, was also discussed at the CWC meeting and they will be taken up for passage at the AICC session on Wednesday

In a resolution passed at the Extended Congress Working Committee, the party said the ideology of make-believe confrontation and mischievously professed division had led to the spread of a deliberate web of lies about conflicts between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.

“In reality, it was an attack on the very ethos of our freedom struggle and the inseparable leadership of Gandhi-Nehru-Patel,” the resolution said.

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“The cobweb of deceit and deception couldn’t sustain, for Sardar Patel himself wrote to Pandit Nehru on August 3, 1947, and unequivocally stated, ‘Our attachment and affection for each other and our comradeship for an unbroken period of nearly 30 years admit of no formalities… Our combination is unbreakable and therein lies our strength’,” the CWC resolution said.

Today, the forces of animosity and division seek to undermine this very spirit of camaraderie and bonhomie, it said.

“Therefore, once again, the Congress is determined to follow the life principles of Sardar Patel to defeat the forces of animosity and division by also exposing the fake news factory of these elements,” the party said.

“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the proponent of social justice, Rahul Gandhi, as also millions of Congress workers are even more determined today to walk on the ‘nyaypath’ in our struggle for protection of the Constitution as also our democracy. The path shown by Sardar Patel is this very path,” the resolution said.

Sitharaman in London

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will participate in the India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue in London on Wednesday. The 13th EFD dialogue will be co-chaired by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs and the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The 13th EFD is a significant bilateral platform between the two countries that offers opportunities for candid engagement at the minister-level, officer-level, working groups and between the respective regulatory bodies in various aspects of financial collaboration, including investment matters, financial services, financial regulations, UPI interlinkages, taxation matters, and illicit financial flows.

The key priorities of the 13th EFD dialogue for Indian side include cooperation in IFSC GIFT City, investment, insurance and pension sectors, FinTech and Digital economy, and mobilising affordable and sustainable climate finance.

On the sidelines of India-UK 13th EFD, Sitharaman will engage in bilateral meetings with key dignitaries, participate in investor roundtables and other meetings with heads of key financial institutions and companies.

Goyal may meet exporters over US tariff

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Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is likely to hold a meeting with exporters on Wednesday to take stock of issues to be faced by Indian traders due to the imposition of an additional 26% reciprocal tariffs by the Trump administration, an industry official said on Sunday.

Senior officials of the commerce ministry and representatives of export promotion councils (EPCs) and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) will attend the deliberations, according to the industry official.

– With PTI inputs