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Row over 42 Muslims in batch of 50 at J&K's Vaishno Devi college; BJP demands changes
The MBBS selection list at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence has sparked controversy, leading the BJP to demand changes in admission.
BJP legislators on Saturday met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to formally object to the admission of Muslim students to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). The party’s stand comes days after several right-wing groups held protests in Reasi over the issue.
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At the meeting, BJP leaders submitted a memorandum asking for changes in the admission rules and immediate corrective steps. BJP MLA R S Pathania took to social media platform X and said institutions created through the “devotion and offerings” of Vaishno Devi devotees should reflect the spiritual character of the shrine. He also called for amendments to the Shrine Board Act and the University Act.
“Institutions built from devotion and offerings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims must function in full alignment with the Shrine’s sacred ethos. Amendments to the Shrine Board Act and University Act are now essential,” he wrote.
What actually happened
The controversy began when the institute released its first-ever MBBS selection list for the 2025-26 academic year. Out of 50 seats, 42 were allotted to Muslim students. Several Hindu organisations argued that an institution funded by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board should prioritise Hindu students. Some groups even demanded that the institute be given minority status so that religion-based reservation can be introduced.
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Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and several local social groups on Friday protested what they claimed was an “unfair imbalance” in the MBBS admissions at the college. They argued that the ratio of Hindu to Muslim students was unacceptable and demanded that the government step in to review the admission process.
In this regard, officials have clarified that admissions were solely merit-based. They added that SMVDIME is not a minority institution and therefore cannot offer religion-based quotas, as per a report by India Today.
