NEW DELHI: Former BJP leader K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised the Centre over its handling of the NEET controversy, alleging a lack of accountability despite repeated question paper leaks and questioning the delay in engaging with protesting students.The former Tamil Nadu BJP chief, who now heads the “We the Leaders” movement and is set to launch his own political party, said the government should have initiated talks before the protests escalated.“Why was meaningful engagement delayed until the protest had escalated to a flashpoint? What kept you waiting?” Annamalai asked in a statement.Reiterating that protest is a fundamental right in a democracy, he urged the Centre to engage in meaningful dialogue, ensure transparency and take swift action to address students’ concerns.Annamalai said he had consistently supported NEET, arguing that it created a uniform admission process and offered students from underprivileged backgrounds a fair opportunity to pursue medical education.However, he said the system had lost credibility after the NEET-UG question paper was allegedly leaked three times in the past five years.“Imagine the amount of pressure 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,” he said.Alleging there had been “no accountability” for the repeated leaks, Annamalai said the failure of the examination system pushed students onto the streets.“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.Stressing that a nation’s strength depends on the confidence its youth have in public institutions, Annamalai warned that the education system risks losing credibility if students no longer trust its fairness.“If our students lose faith in the fairness and credibility of our education system, we are jeopardising the future of our nation,” he said.At the same time, Annamalai urged students and protest organisers to remain focused on their original demands, cautioning that prolonged agitations often attract people with vested interests seeking to divert the movement for political or unrelated agendas.“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.toi news