Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Hardening its stance against what it termed the “silence of elected representatives,” Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti has called upon the people to boycott MLAs and prominent personalities who attend any social or official functions of the Lieutenant Governor in future.
The move is seen as an attempt to mount pressure on elected legislators, particularly from the BJP, to extend support to the ongoing agitation against the admission of a majority of Muslim candidates to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB)-backed medical college at Katra.
“We have asked people to boycott MLAs and prominent persons if they attend any social or official functions of the Lieutenant Governor, who is the chairman of the Shrine Board,” Samiti convener Colonel Sukhvir Singh Mankotia told The News Now.
He added that the agitation would remain peaceful and continue until the medical college is closed. Col Mankotia, however, made it clear that the Samiti did not wish to “harm the careers of students” saying “the students admitted from the Muslim community should be shifted to other colleges. This college should be closed to avoid any future conflict”.
On the next course of action, the Samiti convener declined to divulge details, saying certain decisions had been taken but would be announced “at an appropriate time.”
Yesterday, a large number of people staged a strong demonstration outside the Lok Bhavan on the Samiti’s call, supported by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), market associations, transporters and various social organisations. It marked the first major protest by the Samiti in Jammu, drawing participation from activists representing several organisations.
During the protest, police attempted to prevent demonstrators from burning an effigy of the Lieutenant Governor but were unsuccessful due to the large number of agitators. An effigy of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was also torched.
The agitation began on November 22 after it emerged that 42 of the 50 MBBS seats at the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) had been allotted to Muslim candidates, triggering strong reactions from various quarters. While admissions were carried out in accordance with prescribed norms, the Sangarsh Samiti has demanded that the seat allocation be scrapped.
This was the first batch of students admitted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, which is run by the Shrine Board.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already defended the admissions, stating that they were strictly merit-based and that seats cannot be distributed on the basis of religion under the Constitution.
He has also pointed out that the university to which the college is affiliated was established through an Act of the J&K Assembly and does not provide for religion-based restrictions in admissions. “When the Assembly passed the bill to establish Mata Vaishno Devi University, where was it written that boys and girls of one religion would be excluded?” the Chief Minister had said.
The Sangarsh Samiti, however, has maintained that if there can be no reservation for Hindus at the institution, the medical college should be shut down.
Former Vishva Hindu Parishad leader and president of Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), Praveen Togadia also demanded that all 50 seats at the Medical College should be reserved for Hindus, and warned of an intensified agitation if it was not done.
