Sangharsh Samiti holds march, wants Muslim students shifted from college

Several Hindu right wing groups under the banner of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti (SMVSS) held a protest in Jammu on Friday demanding shifting of Muslim students from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) and reserving the seats there for Hindu students.

During the demonstration, hundreds of protesters staged a sit-in at vital Tawi bridge and raised slogans against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The protesters also raised slogans against the Lt Governor, who is the chairman of the Shrine Board. The protest was led by Samiti convener Sukhbir Singh Mankotia.

Addressing the protesters, Mankotia said this was not a Hindu-Muslim fight. “This is the battle of our faith. Some people are trying to give it a communal colour and the society has to be careful of such people,” he said.

Reacting to Omar’s statement that admissions were based purely on merit, Mankotia called the statement “wrong” and “shameful.” He said the Samiti did not want any loss to students already admitted but objected to the manner in which the issue was being handled.

Mankotia said that the shrine board runs on the offerings made by lakhs of Hindus who have faith in Vaishno Devi. “Therefore, the Shrine Board should use this offering only for those who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi. This money should be spent on institutions and centres related to Hindu religion. Until this happens, the Samiti will continue its movement against the Shrine Board,” said Mankotia.

A member of the Sangharsh Samiti’s core committee and president of Shri Sanatan Dharma Sabha, Jammu and Kashmir, Purushottam Dadhichi said successive J&K governments have contributed nothing for the development of the Vaishno Devi shrine.

The agitation followed the selection of 42 Muslim, one Sikh and seven Hindu candidates for the 50 sanctioned MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic session, all chosen through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

The movement is being spearheaded by the SMVSS, a collective of several Hindu groups. Dozens of protests have been held in Jammu and other areas by the BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dogra Front and the Samiti against the medical college in Reasi district.