Chennai: In the NEET face-off between the ruling DMK in Tamilnadu and the Raj Bhavan, the former skipped an ‘At Home Reception’ organised by Governor RN Ravi on Thursday.

Chief Minister M K Stalin and the elected representatives of the ruling DMK and its allies boycotted Ravi’s scheduled events, the unveiling of poet Subramaniya Bharati’s statue and the reception to mark the Tamil New Year held at Raj Bhavan.

There was ‘no positive assurance’ from the Governor to a two-member Ministerial delegation that requested him to forward the anti-NEET Bill readopted by the legislative assembly in February to the Union government for Presidential assent, the government said.

Stalin on Thursday evening wrote to the Governor, expressing pain over the holding up of the NEET exemption Bill.

He reminded the Governor of the need to discharge constitutional duties constructively in the best interest of the people of the State, while pointing to the cordiality and productive relationship enjoyed by the two and official protocols and courtesies extended to the constitutional head of the State till now.

Stalin expressed the confidence that ‘when both of us discharge our constitutional duties constructively, the State shall stand to benefit and continue to prosper’ and hoped the cordiality would continue.

DMK’s allies in Tamilnadu — the Congress, the CPI(M) and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi — boycotted the reception as well. CPI(M)’s State secretary K Balakrishnan said that Governor Ravi was ‘acting against the State government elected by the people’ and a ‘power centre above the government.’