The state-wide hunger strike is being held to seek the abolition of NEET and to condemn the Union government, which has not scrapped the national test yet, and the "irresponsible" Governor R N Ravi for his pro-NEET stand, the DMK said. The party slammed the Central government as being autocratic, as it has so far not abolished NEET, despite several students ending their lives as they could not realise their aspiration to pursue medicine.The fast is also being undertaken to condemn Ravi for claiming to have "powers" that he does not have. The reference is to the Governor's recent remark that he would never clear the Bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from the exam's ambit if he "had the power to do so". The Bill is pending with President Droupadi Murmu, and Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged her to clear it expeditiously. In a party release, DMK's youth, students and medical wings said that in Chennai the fast would be led by Udhayanidhi (Youth wing secretary), C V M P Ezhilarasan (Students' wing secretary) and Ezhilan Naganathan (Medical wing secretary). The fast would be held across the state, the release said and exhorted people to rally behind them to abolish NEET and establish the educational rights of Tamil Nadu students, in order to save lives. Days ago, a teen died by suicide here as he could not clear the qualifying test to pursue medicine. His father too died by suicide unable to bear the death of his son. According to the state government, 16 students have ended their lives due to NEET. The DMK's fast against NEET is being held on August 20, the same day that the main opposition AIADMK had announced a mega party conference in Madurai.