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New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has formally raised objections to the admission of Muslim students at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), marking the party’s first public reaction after a series of street protests by right-wing outfits in Reasi district.
On Saturday, a delegation headed by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and submitted a memorandum urging an immediate review of the admission process and corrective measures in response to the controversy.
The row surfaced after the institute released its first MBBS seat-allocation list for the 2025–26 academic session, revealing that 42 out of 50 seats had gone to Muslim students. Multiple Hindu organisations argued that an institution financed by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board should ensure greater representation from the Hindu community, demanding its declaration as a minority institution so that community-based reservation could be enforced.
BJP MLA from Udhampur RS Pathania voiced dissent on X, arguing that institutions supported through the offerings of pilgrims must embody the sentiments of devotees. "Institutions built from devotion and offerings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims must function in full alignment with the Shrine’s sacred ethos. Amendments to the Shrine Board Act and University Act are now essential," he posted.
The agitation escalated earlier in the week when members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal and Movement Kalki marched towards the university campus, breaching a gate before police stopped them.
Protest organisers asserted that only seven Hindus and one Sikh had found a place in the inaugural batch and demanded an overhaul of the admissions system.
"Of the first batch of 50 students, only seven are Hindus and one Sikh, while 42 students are Muslims, which is not acceptable to us. We demand a fresh admission process and a re-examination of existing rules to guarantee sufficient reservation for Hindus," said Rakesh Bajrangi, president of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal.
He further claimed that the institution was built through donations from Hindu devotees, insisting that the funds must exclusively benefit the community.
Institutional officials refuted the allegations, stating that the admission list reflects merit-based selection. They clarified that SMVDIME does not have minority status, and therefore is legally barred from applying religious criteria or reservation. Protest leaders have threatened to step up demonstrations if Lt Governor Sinha, who heads the Shrine Board, fails to intervene soon.
