Chennai,  The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) has said that it will intensify protest marches against state Governor R.N. Ravi for not forwarding the bill seeking exemption from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) passed by the state Assembly to the President.

Party state secretary R. Mutharsan while speaking to IANS said: "We will continue with the black flag protests against Tamil Nadu Governor until he forwards the bill seeking exemption from NEET to the President".

He said that the Governor has disrespected the Tamil Nadu Assembly in not forwarding the bill to the President and that the party had boycotted the 'At Home' reception at Raj Bhavan on Tamil New Year day,' Puthandu' due to this.

The CPI leader said that the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP was trying to create an issue over the black flag protests against the Governor and said that the CPI and other left and democratic forces will continue with the peaceful protests against the Governor.

The senior leader also said that the state BJP was creating communal issues to dilute the protests against the price hike of fuel and other essential commodities.

In a related development, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress party said that it would conduct a peaceful protest in front of the Raj Bhavan on April 28th against the Governor not forwarding the bill seeking exemption from NEET for the state to the President.

TNCC state president, K.S. Alagiri while speaking to IANS said: "The Tamil Nadu Governor is functioning against the will of the people of the state and he is bound to be criticized. Nobody is above criticism in this country, and why can't we criticize him? He has no right to keep the NEET exemption bill pending with him under Article 200 of the constitution."

Alagiri said that Congress will protest outside the Raj Bhavan on April 28 demanding that the Governor send the NEET exemption bill passed by the state legislative assembly to the President for his assent.