Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defended the admission of Muslim students to the Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence. He said the college must follow merit and not religion. He pointed to the law passed by the J and K Assembly that established the institution. He said the Act does not exclude any community from applying or studying in the college.
The admission of Muslim students has sparked protests in Jammu. Right wing groups and the BJP have opposed the admissions. They submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and asked him to reverse the decision. They argue that the college was established by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board with funds donated by Hindu devotees. They demand that seats be reserved for Hindu students who have faith in Vaishno Devi.
Sunil Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the J and K Assembly, said people feel hurt. He repeated the demand for admissions based on religious faith. He said only those who believe in Mata Vaishno Devi should get admission.
Official sources said the institute is not a minority institution. They said the admission process follows the National Medical Council rules and the NEET merit list. They said there is no legal basis for allocating seats based on religion. The institute admitted its first batch this year. Of the fifty seats, eight Hindu students from Jammu took admission. Students received seats based on the NEET list, with eighty five percent reserved for domiciles.
Abdullah cautioned that using religion as a criterion in any institution will affect other areas of governance. He urged critics to read the Act and the bill that established the institution. He said the law clearly states that admissions must follow merit.
