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Remove secularism from Constitution: CM Omar as Hindu groups push for Hindu-only admissions in Vaishno Devi varsity

SRINAGAR: Hindu groups in Jammu have intensified protests demanding Hindu-only admissions at the Vaishno Devi medical university after 42 Muslim students were selected this year, prompting J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to counter that the admissions were strictly merit-based and if you want to conduct admissions on the basis of religion then remove secularism from the constitution. Activists of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal staged a protest in Jammu against the admission of 42 Muslim students to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). They attempted to submit a memorandum to Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan but were intercepted by police. A senior Bajrang Dal leader alleged that attempts were being made to Islamise the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Whether it is a medical college, nursing college, or university, jobs and admissions are given to other communities. We demand that the 42 seats allotted to Muslims in Vaishno Devi Medical University should be cancelled and allotted to Hindus as this is Hindu money and Hindus are making donations to the shrine, he alleged. Our money should be spent on our community. It should not be used to provide education to children of other communities. The funds belong to us, and the shrine board should spend it on the welfare of Hindus, he said. SMVDIME was sanctioned 50 MBBS seats for the current academic year. Forty-two of the 50 seats were allotted to Muslim students on the basis of merit, sparking protests from right-wing Hindu groups and the BJP. Shiv Sena (UBT) J&K chief Manish Sahni demanded that Vaishno Devi medical university and other educational institutions in the country run with money from Hindu mandirs and Hindu groups should give priority to Hindus and include a special quota for Hindu students. BJP faces backlash over call for Hindu-only admissions at Vaishno Devi Medical Institute We are not against entry of any particular community in education but this procedure exists in all communities. Other religious communities already have similar arrangements in their educational institutions. Why are Hindus deprived about it, he said. Sahni added that they were not in favour of cancellation of the current selection list but demanded that future admissions include a quota for Hindu students. Other Hindu groups, including the Yuva Rajput Sabha and Movement Kalki, have also protested the selection of 42 Muslim candidates and demanded that institutions funded by shrine donations prioritise Hindu students. J&K BJP leaders also demanded that admissions to SMVDIME be restricted only to students having faith in Mata Vaishno Devi. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rejected the protests, reiterating that the selections were made purely on merit. When the J&K Assembly passed the Bill for establishment of Mata Vaishno Devi University, it was never mentioned that admissions would exclude students from any religion. When admission has taken place on the basis of merit, some people dont like it. Admissions are meant to be merit-based, and if anyone wants them to be religion-based, then seek permission from the Supreme Court, he said. Stressing the importance of secularism, Omar said, The word secularism continues to be a part of our constitution. If you dont want to keep this country secular, then remove this word from the constitution. He added, If tomorrow the government begins taking decisions based on religion, what will happen to social welfare schemes, will ration be distributed on the basis of religion and will policemen perform their duty on the basis of religion. Political parties criticised the BJP and other Hindu groups for attempting to communalise medical sciences and stressed that merit and fairness must remain central to admissions. BJP protest admissions at Vaishno Devi medical college in Reasi as 42 of 50 MBBS seats go to Muslim students