BJP asks J&K Lt. Governor to bar admission of Muslim students at Mata Vaishno Devi varsity, evokes sharp reaction

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha has accepted a memorandum of the BJP seeking to scrap the MBBS admittance list, which has maximum Muslim qualifiers, and reserve each the seats for Hindus astatine the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra. The determination has evoked crisp reactions from J&K parties, including the ruling National Conference (NC).

A five-member BJP delegation, headed by elder BJP person Sunil Sharma, who is besides the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) successful the Assembly, met Mr. Sinha astatine the Raj Bhavan successful Jammu connected Saturday evening. The delegation sought Mr. Sinha’s involution to amend the rules of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and reserve the seats successful the assemblage for lone Hindus.

“Most students successful the admittance database are from 1 peculiar assemblage this year. We protested against it. The varsity is simply a spiritual instauration and radical person religion and beliefs attached to it. Every devotee donates to this spiritual instauration with a privation to spot the promotion of their faith. However, the Board arsenic good arsenic the varsity person not considered the faith. We made it wide to the L-G that lone those who person religion successful Mata Vaishno Devi should get admission,” Mr. Sharma said.

‘Divisive memorandum’

The BJP and respective right-wing parties successful Jammu are up successful arms against the admittance list, successful which 42 of the 50 qualified students are Muslims. “This year’s admittance database is not acceptable to us. We person sought changes successful the rules of the admittance process. Only those who could found devotional values should beryllium allowed admission,” Mr. Sharma added.

The determination of the L-G, who is besides the Chairman of the Board, evoked crisp reactions from respective governmental parties. “It is unfortunate that the L-G has accepted specified a divisive and communal memorandum. Across the country, students of each religions survey successful number institutions. Many Hindu students survey astatine the Aligarh Muslim University and the aforesaid is existent of the Jamia Millia Islamia. No 1 raised an objection to that ever,” NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said.

Another NC person and legislator Tanvir Sadiq accused the BJP of “communalising institutions” and “dividing society”. “If hospitals, schools, universities, and aesculapian colleges commencement deciding intake connected the ground of religion, what benignant of state volition we become? Tomorrow, volition a diligent beryllium treated according to their faith? Will merit beryllium pushed speech to fulfill majoritarian demands? This is simply a look for disaster,” Mr. Sadiq said.

‘Communalising education’

He said the BJP’s stance connected the admissions, wherever selections are merit-based, was not conscionable misguided but besides dangerous. “A shrine-funded instauration does not go a religion-based institution. Donations made successful devotion cannot beryllium converted into tools of discrimination. For your petty governmental gains, bash not crook our institutions into battlegrounds of faith. You are planting a clip weaponry that, if goes off, volition make a disagreement nary 1 volition ever beryllium capable to fix. Communalising wellness and acquisition is fundamentally wrong. It harms nine contiguous and destroys the federation tomorrow. This toxic authorities indispensable halt earlier an irreparable harm is done,” Mr. Sadiq said.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti termed the BJP’s determination arsenic “shameful”. “In Naya Kashmir, favoritism towards Muslims present besides extends to education. The irony being that this anti-Muslim apartheid is being legitimised and carried retired successful India’s lone Muslim bulk State with its lone Muslim Chief Minister,” Ms. Mufti said.

J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) president Sajad Lone said the BJP was experimenting with the conception of communalising aesculapian sciences. “There is simply a due admittance trial called NEET and that is an all-India test. The finest brains successful the state beryllium for that exam and those who get selected enactment hard to go a doctor. The finest brains spell adjacent further. They go a portion of probe and travel up with caller ideas to decision diseases. We request to get the champion brains and alteration a civilization of probe and innovation. Medical subject needs researchers not spiritual zealots,” Mr. Lone said.