Demanding seats based on religion wrong: Mehbooba

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said that ignoring merit and demanding distribution of seats based on religion was wrong and would harm the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country.

The PDP chief said that the demand for allotting seats on religious lines should not be entertained. “It will not only spoil the atmosphere of Jammu and Kashmir but will also affect the entire country. If this begins here, it will spread to other parts as well,” Mehbooba told reporters.

She recalled that when the universities of Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Ghulam Shah were proposed, land was allotted with the vision of providing quality education to local youth and attracting students from outside the region. “The idea was simple — anyone with merit would get admission. Mata Vaishno Devi University is doing well, while Baba Ghulam Shah University is facing some difficulties,” she said.

Referring to the ongoing controversy over admissions, she said it is “completely wrong”. “Jammu and Kashmir belongs to everyone. Jammu has always been known as a place where the lion and the lamb could drink water from the same river,” she said. Mehbooba said Muslims had chosen to live in the country and raised concern over divisive issues.