ibn sultan
A high-level delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party (J&K BJP) called on Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda in New Delhi to discuss the growing controversy surrounding admissions to the MBBS seats in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Katra, run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB).
The delegation comprised J&K BJP President and MP (Rajya Sabha) Sat Sharma, Union MoS in PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh, LoP Sunil Sharma, MP (Lok Sabha) Jugal Kishore Sharma, MP (Rajya Sabha) Ghulam Ali Khatana, MLAs Dr. Devinder Manyal, Sham Lal Sharma and Adv. RS Pathania.
They conveyed to the Union Health Minister the deep resentment brewing among devotees and civil society groups over the composition of the first batch of 50 MBBS seats. They said that 42 out of the 50 seats have been allotted to non-Hindu candidates, a development that has triggered strong reactions among devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi and among those who have contributed financially to the shrine.
The delegation informed the Minister that various social and religious organizations have begun holding protests, expressing dissatisfaction and demanding transparency and corrective measures in the admission process. They cautioned that if the issue is not addressed promptly, a large-scale agitation could emerge in the coming days, potentially disturbing the peaceful environment of the region.
