AhlulBayt News Agency: In Jammu and Kashmir, Hindu nationalist organizations are protesting the admission of 42 Muslim students to a medical college, following the release of the MBBS admission list at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College.
This has sparked a significant controversy, with Muslim leaders strongly condemning the protests.
The controversy began after the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) issued the list of successful candidates for MBBS. This year, 42 Muslim students passed the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), while only 8 Hindu students were successful. Based on the merit list, the JKBOPEE allocated 50 seats for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, out of which 42 seats were filled by Muslim students.
While the NEET exam is conducted at the national level, the merit list and seat allocation are handled by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations.
Hindu organizations, instead of focusing on improving the success rate of Hindu students or addressing their concerns, have raised objections to the admission of Muslim students, arguing that they should not be allowed to study at the medical college.
Protests were organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, demanding the cancellation of Muslim students' admissions. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also expressed strong opposition to the admission of these students, with several BJP leaders, including Sunil Sharma, meeting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and submitting a memorandum demanding the cancellation of the Muslim students' admissions.
BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi held a press conference, stating that it was a matter of concern that 42 out of 50 students in the medical college list were from a religious community that does not follow the faith of Vaishno Devi. He argued that this issue was both a legal and faith-based concern, suggesting that admission should be based on religious identity.
In response to these objections, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the demand, pointing out that when the bill for the Mata Vaishno Devi University was passed, there was no provision to exclude Muslim students.
He questioned where it was written that admission would be restricted based on religion, emphasizing that such exclusion was against the principles on which the college was founded. He further stated that the students had passed the NEET exam, and there was no justification for discrimination based on religion.
Sajjad Gani Lone, Chairman of the People’s Congress and a Member of the Legislative Assembly, condemned the BJP and Hindu organizations’ demands, calling it a dangerous step to introduce religious bias in the field of medical science.
Altaf Bukhari, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, described the BJP's demand as impractical and warned of potential consequences if similar demands were made at Islamic universities or other institutions in the future.
Hemla Agarwal, former Principal of Parade College in Jammu, also expressed her concerns, stating that once the admissions were finalized, it would be unjust to reverse them. She argued that all rules were followed as in other universities, and the students who passed the NEET exam should not be subjected to discrimination now.
Ghulam Nabi Rather, an academic from Kashmir, pointed out that many non-Muslim students study in colleges and universities in Jammu and Kashmir. He questioned whether it was acceptable to exclude them simply because they are studying in institutions where Muslims also study. He emphasized that bringing religion into education was not a positive development.
This controversy highlights the growing religious tensions in Jammu and Kashmir and raises serious questions about discrimination in education based on religion.
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