Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Congress unit has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of introducing a communal dimension to the ongoing MBBS admission controversy at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), alleging the party is attempting to divert attention from its own governance shortcomings and failures of the Shrine Board.
The SMVDIME received approval for 50 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic year, its inaugural batch. The admission of 42 students from the Muslim community sparked protests from right-wing Hindu organisations, which questioned the selection process and demanded the institute be granted "minority institution" status. College officials clarified that admissions were conducted strictly on merit through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), as the institute has not been designated a minority institution and therefore cannot apply religion-based reservation criteria.
A delegation of BJP Members of the Legislative Assembly, led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday to demand cancellation of the admission list and reservation of seats exclusively for students "who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi". In response, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma held the BJP-led central government, particularly the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Shrine Board management, and the institute responsible for failing to protect "religious sentiments and rights of Hindus" whilst granting registration and recognition.
Sharma questioned why authorities were giving a communal twist to admissions when the fault lay with officials belonging to the BJP system who failed to adopt appropriate legal measures. The Congress leader stated that the BJP and allied authorities stand exposed in the matter, calling on BJP national president J.P. Nadda to take steps honouring the rights and religious sentiments of the Hindu community within existing legal frameworks.