Rashtriya Bajrang Dal seeks minority status for Vaishno Devi medical college

Demanding grant of “minority institution” status to the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) to enable reservation of seats for Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) on Wednesday protested here against the admission list, alleging that nearly 70 per cent of the seats had been allotted to students from Kashmir.

The RBD warned of protests in Katra if the administration, particularly the Lieutenant Governor, did not intervene immediately.

Officials, however, said admissions were made on merit as the institute has not been granted minority status and, therefore, no reservation criteria based on religion could be applied.

The SMVDIME has been sanctioned 50 MBBS seats this year. The medical college, run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), began its operations last year in Reasi district and is admitting its first MBBS batch in the academic session 2025-26.

Led by RBD president Rakesh Kumar, scores of activists took out a rally in Jammu and protested what they termed “discrimination against Jammu”, claiming that 32 out of 50 MBBS seats had gone to students from Kashmir.

Carrying religious flags, the protesters raised slogans against the Shrine Board and warned of launching a wider agitation if the decision was not reviewed. “We will not accept that a Shri Mata Vaishno Devi medical institute, built with the donations of Hindus, grants nearly 70 per cent seats to students from Kashmir. This is discrimination against the people of Jammu,” Kumar told reporters.

He accused the Shrine Board and the government of failing to grant the institute minority status on the pattern of Jamia Millia Islamia or Khalsa College, arguing that Hindus are a minority in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The government has failed to recognise SMVDIME as a minority Hindu institution. We are unable to secure seats for our own children in a college built with our donations. This is a tragedy,” he said.