Days after communal tensions flared in Jammu after several Hindutva organisations objected to Muslim representation in the first academic and staffing cycle of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence and its shrine-funded hospital, the outfits now demand the scrapping of the released names, thereby make the entire process void.
The controversy began after the release of the inaugural MBBS admission list, where 42 of 50 seats went to Muslim students selected strictly through NEET merit and J&K domicile rules.
Protesters labelled this “religiously skewed,” even though medical colleges in India cannot legally apply religious criteria of any kind.
On November 15,in a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the VHP demanded policy changes to “protect the religious character” of the Shrine Board institution.
Their demand essentially seeks religious preference in admissions and hiring, raising a fundamental question: can a public-facing, charity-run institution funded by devotees override constitutional equality to satisfy majoritarian sentiment?
Hindutva groups claim that Muslim-majority admissions and Muslim doctors “hurt devotees’ sentiments” and want the Shrine Board to rewrite bylaws and reshape policy.
The Shrine Board has yet to issue a formal statement. With protests continuing, the episode raises a deeper concern about growing pressure on public institutions to conform to demands from Hindutva groups rather than constitutional norms. The shrine board’s CEO Sachin Kumar Vaishya said, “A delegation has submitted a memorandum to us. We are looking into it and necessary action will be taken.”
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