BJP accuses Omar of polarising J&K over medical college admission row

A day after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised the BJP and asked the party to declare the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) a minority institution, the BJP on Tuesday hit back, saying the Chief Minister should “speak like the CM of the entire J&K and not only of Kashmir”.

The allotment of 42 MBBS seats to Muslim candidates at the medical college run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has triggered a political storm, with parties attacking each other and the issue developing into a point of tension between Hindu-dominated Jammu and Muslim-majority Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference — the BJP’s first direct response to the controversy — chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi, media relations in-charge Abhinav Sharma, and spokespersons Ankur Sharma and Zorawar Jamwal strongly criticised the Chief Minister.

Sethi said the controversy has raised concerns within the Hindu community and generated anger. “We are against politics over the issue. The CM is giving statements that have the potential to polarise society. He speaks as if he is the CM of only Muslims from Kashmir and not of the entire UT. Omar should not address only one community,” he said.

Omar Abdullah had said on Tuesday that if Muslim students were prevented from studying in institutions such as the Vaishno Devi medical college, they would be compelled to seek education in countries like Bangladesh and Turkey.

Objecting to the remark, Sethi questioned why Omar mentioned only those two countries. “He could have named England or France. But there is an anti-national feeling in his mind which becomes clear when he names Bangladesh. It is unfortunate that the CM of J&K gives such statements,” he said.

Sethi said the sensitivities attached to the shrine — being a revered Hindu religious institution — must be respected, while assuring that the rights of selected Muslim candidates would be protected through legal and administrative measures.

Advocate Abhinav Sharma attributed the controversy to inadequate publicity of the admission process, arguing that limited dissemination of information during counselling deprived many meritorious Hindu students of choosing the college.

He alleged that Omar Abdullah was “playing to the galleries of a particular political constituency”.

Meanwhile, Ankur Sharma said the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act, 1999, should be revisited by the legislature. He argued that the university, with which SMVDIME is affiliated, has its origin, funding and institutional purpose rooted in the Hindu religious tradition, giving it a distinct religious identity.

He added that any amendment by a competent authority could reflect and preserve this identity, including exploring legally permissible provisions related to admissions consistent with the institution’s founding purpose.