Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday strongly objected to the BJP’s stance on the first MBBS admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). He said any attempt to allocate seats without merit would require Supreme Court approval.
“The Constitution has a word, ‘secular’. If they (BJP) do not want to uphold the country’s secular character, they should first remove the word,” Abdullah said, emphasising that merit must remain the sole criterion for admissions
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday expressed confusion over the controversy surrounding the selection of students from a particular community in the first list of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME).
Speaking to reporters after the e-auction of seven limestone blocks in Anantnag, Rajouri, and Poonch, Abdullah said, “When the Assembly passed the Bill for the establishment of the Mata Vaishno Devi University, where was it written that students from a particular religion would be excluded? At that time, it was clearly stated that admissions would be based on merit alone, not religion.”
He questioned the “fuss” over the selection, reiterating that merit must remain the sole criterion for admissions.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) was sanctioned 50 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic year. Admissions for the maiden batch have sparked controversy after 42 of the seats went to students from a single community.
Right-wing Hindu groups have questioned the selection process and demanded “minority institution” status for the newly established institute.
Officials, however, clarified that admissions were strictly merit-based, noting that SMVDIME has not been granted minority status, and therefore no religion-based reservation criteria could be applied.
A delegation of BJP MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition in the J-K Assembly Sunil Sharma, met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday, demanding the cancellation of the admission list and reservation of seats only for students who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi.
“Some people do not seem to support merit-based admissions. If you want admissions without merit, seek permission from the Supreme Court, because as far as I know, giving admission without merit is not allowed,” Abdullah said.
“There is a demand that admissions be based on religion, ignoring merit, which is not permissible under the Constitution,” he added.
Abdullah questioned, “If tomorrow the government starts making decisions solely based on religion, what will happen to social welfare schemes, ration distribution, and other services? Will police also perform their duties based on religion?”
“Our Constitution uses the word ‘secular’. If you do not want to keep this country secular, remove that word,” the chief minister said. He also advised LoP Sunil Sharma to review the Act passed by the J-K Assembly, which is on record.
“Being the LoP, he (Sharma) can verify whether the Act allows seat allocation based on religion. It clearly mentions distribution of seats on the basis of merit. What fault do students have who secured seats based on merit?” Abdullah said, urging students to work hard to clear entrance examinations.
Responding to Sharma’s claim that L-G Sinha had assured to consider revoking the admission list and reserving seats in the future, Abdullah asked, “How can anyone guarantee that? Then why separate Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital? If the hospital was set up with donations from the shrine, should Muslims and non-Hindus be denied treatment there?”
The chief minister also highlighted that when land was allotted for the university following the Assembly Act, it was explicitly stated that seats would be allocated based on merit, not religion. (Agencies)
