‘Secularism Is In The Constitution’: Omar Abdullah Slams BJP Over SMVDIME Admission Dispute

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday sharply criticised the BJP over its objections to the first round of admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), stressing that any move to allot MBBS seats without merit would require approval from the Supreme Court. He reminded that the Bill passed for establishing the institute mandated admissions strictly on merit and not on the basis of religion, questioning the BJP's intentions if it disagrees with a secular approach.

Speaking after the e-auction of seven limestone blocks spread across Anantnag, Rajouri and Poonch districts - an exercise covering nearly 314 hectares - Abdullah said he failed to understand the controversy surrounding the selection of most candidates from a particular community in SMVDIME's first admission list.

Union minister G Kishan Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary were also present at the e-auction.

Abdullah said that when the Assembly had passed the Bill for the establishment of the Mata Vaishno Devi University, nowhere did it state that students from a specific religion would be excluded. At that time, he noted, it was clearly emphasised that admissions would be purely merit-based.

The SMVDIME was allotted 50 MBBS seats this year. However, the selection of 42 students from one community in the maiden batch for the 2025-26 session has triggered a political row, with right-wing Hindu groups calling the process discriminatory and demanding that the new institute be declared a "minority institution."

Officials have clarified that the admissions were granted strictly on merit, and since the institute does not have minority status, no religion-based reservation criteria could have been applied.

A BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday, demanding that the admission list be scrapped and that seats be reserved only for students who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi.

Abdullah rejected the demand, saying some people appear uncomfortable with merit-based admissions. "If you want admissions without merit, take permission from the Supreme Court, because as far as I know, you cannot give admission without merit," he said.

He added that calls for religion-based admissions go against constitutional principles. "There is a demand that admissions be given on the basis of religion by keeping merit aside, which is not permissible according to the Constitution," he said.

Abdullah questioned what would happen to essential public services if decisions began to be taken on religious lines. "If tomorrow the government starts taking decisions based only on religion, what will happen to social welfare schemes, ration distribution, etc.? Will police perform their duty on the basis of religion?" he asked. He reiterated that the Constitution clearly carries the word "secular," and said that if the BJP does not wish to uphold secularism, "they should first remove the word."

He also urged LoP Sunil Sharma to revisit the Act passed by the J-K Assembly, pointing out that it clearly speaks of merit-based distribution of seats. "Being the LoP, he can check whether it is written that seats will be distributed on the basis of religion. It talks about distribution of seats on the basis of merit. What is the fault of those who secured seats on the basis of merit?" Abdullah said, urging students to prepare diligently for entrance exams.

Responding to Sharma's claim that L-G Sinha had assured to review demands for cancelling the list and introducing religious reservation in the future, Abdullah said he failed to see how such an assurance could be given. He argued that such logic could be extended to medical services as well. "Then say that the hospital was set up from the donations received at the shrine, and that Muslims and non-Hindus won't be allowed to get treatment there," he said.

Abdullah concluded by reiterating that when land was allotted for the university after the Act was passed, it was categorically stated that seats would be given only on the basis of merit and not on religious considerations.