Vaishno devi med college row: Hindu body holds protest

Samiti convenor Col (retd) SS Mankotia said, “We first performed prayers at the historic Shri Raghunath Mandir followed by a protest march that passed through RN Bazar, Bharat Mata Chowk, Shalamar and culminated at Indira Chowk.”

A controversy over the admission of 44 Muslim students to the first batch of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) triggered a protest by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti (SMVDSS) at Raghunath Chowk on Saturday.

Members of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti raise slogans during a protest against the grant of majority seats in MBBS to Muslim students from Kashmir at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), in Jammu on Saturday. (PTI)

Samiti convenor Col (retd) SS Mankotia said, “We first performed prayers at the historic Shri Raghunath Mandir followed by a protest march that passed through RN Bazar, Bharat Mata Chowk, Shalamar and culminated at Indira Chowk.” He said the protest marked the formal launch of the agitation, adding that teams had been formed in other districts to organise similar demonstrations.

The protest saw participation from men, women and youth.

“There is no need to make it a Hindu versus Muslim issue. We are simply demanding that the list be revoked because 44 students of a particular community have been selected in the maiden batch of 50 students,” said protester Sarika Gupta. “Those who don’t have faith in Vaishno Devi should not get admission in it.” She added that medical colleges should not be built from devotees’ donations.

Another protester, Vishal Sharma, said, “The government should amend the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act 1999 and ensure 100% reservation to the Hindu community.”

The BJP and other Hindu groups have also demanded that the MBBS admission list be scrapped and admissions restricted to Hindu students.