Chicago – November 26, 2025
Omar Abdullah has sharply criticised the BJP over its objections to Muslim admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, accusing the party of promoting religious discrimination in education.
BJP row over admissions
The controversy erupted after 42 Muslim students were admitted in the first MBBS batch of 50 at the shrine-funded medical college in Katra, prompting protests by BJP leaders and right-wing groups who demanded a review of the admission process. Party leaders argued that an institution financed through offerings at the Vaishno Devi shrine should prioritise Hindu students and sought religion-based preferences in seat allocation.
Abdullah’s counter and warning
Responding to BJP leader Sunil Sharma, Omar Abdullah said that if the party did not want non-Hindu students on campus, it should openly push for declaring the college a minority institution to “keep away” Muslims and other non-Hindus. He reiterated that admissions are governed by NEET and other competitive exams, not faith, and warned the BJP not to later accuse Muslims of being communal while itself opposing meritorious Muslim candidates.
Secularism and constitutional values
Abdullah framed the BJP’s stance as an attack on India’s constitutional principles, stressing that using religion as a criterion in professional colleges undermines both meritocracy and secularism. He urged the administration to protect merit-based admissions at the Vaishno Devi institute and cautioned that denying opportunities to Muslim students on religious grounds could deepen alienation among youth in Jammu and Kashmir.
