Tamil rapper Arivu detained during bid to protest against NEET near Secretariat in Chennai

Popular Tamil rapper Arivu (Arivarasu Kalainesan) was detained by Greater Chennai City police after he and three others attempted to stage a protest near the Secretariat on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), demanding the abolition of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Arivu and the three protesters gathered at the entrance of the Secretariat and raised slogans demanding that NEET be scrapped. They also sought action against the police over the crackdown on protesters during the march to Parliament in Delhi.

Minister Aadhav Arjuna invites to chamber

A senior police officer said, “We picked up Arivu and three others as they were staging a protest near the Secretariat, a high-security zone. They were later released.” Subsequently, Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna invited Arivu to his chamber in the Secretariat and listened to his concerns.

Arivu is best known for his Tamil independent music including the hit song Enjoy Enjaami, and for film tracks such as Vaathi Raid from Vijay-starrer Master (2021), Single Pasanga from the movie ‘Natpe Thunai’ (2019), Neeye Oli from ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ (2021), Golden Sparrow from ‘Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam’, and Thalapathy Kacheri from ‘Jana Nayagan’ (2026), starring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.