Jammu, Nov 26: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today addressed a press conference on the recent controversy surrounding the selection of 42 Muslim candidates in the medical college established and funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine Board. The briefing was addressed by BJP Chief Spokesperson Sr. Advocate Sunil Sethi, Sr. Advocate Abhinav Sharma, Advocate Ankur Sharma, and Zorawar Singh Jamwal, who also moderated and introduced the subject of the press conference.
Sr. Advocate Sunil Sethi cautioned against politicising or communalising the matter. He criticised former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for what he described as attempts to project the issue as a Hindu-Muslim conflict.
Sethi said the sensitivities associated with Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine, being a revered Hindu religious institution, must be respected. At the same time, he added that “the rights of the selected candidates can be protected through several available legal and administrative avenues,” urging responsible handling of the situation.
Sr. Advocate Abhinav Sharma pointed to what he called inadequate publicity of the admission process. According to him, limited dissemination of information deprived many meritorious Hindu students of an opportunity to opt for the college during counselling.
He alleged that Omar Abdullah was “playing to the galleries of a particular political constituency,” and said that the former CM’s remarks were politically motivated rather than aimed at constructive resolution.
Advocate Ankur Sharma strongly criticised Omar Abdullah for “mocking the sentiments of the Hindu community” by what he described as a “deriding and trivialising” response to the concerns raised.
Sharma argued that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act, 1999 should be revisited by the legislature. He stated that the University and the upcoming medical college have their origins, funding, and institutional purpose rooted in the Hindu religious tradition, and therefore possess a distinct religious identity.
On that basis, he asserted that the Act could be amended by the competent authority to reflect and preserve this identity, including exploring legally viable provisions related to admissions consistent with the institution’s founding purpose. He emphasised that any such consideration must be within the constitutional and statutory framework. He slammed Omar Abdullah for his statements justifying and rationalising terror and termed him a terror sympathiser.
BJP spokesperson Zorawar Singh Jamwal concluded the press conference by challenging what he called Omar Abdullah’s “bluff” on the issue. Jamwal criticised the former Chief Minister’s attacks on the Leader of Opposition, terming them baseless and politically motivated.
He said the BJP would continue to raise the concerns of the community while urging that the matter be approached with seriousness and sensitivity rather than politicisation.
