Nagrota, Nov 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed objections raised over the large number of Muslim students admitted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, saying admissions are based purely on NEET merit, not religion.
He challenged those opposing the intake to declare the institute a minority institution if they don’t want Muslim students studying there. “When you built the college, you didn’t give it minority status. Why complain now?” he said.
The institute, which received 50 MBBS seats this year, admitted 42 Muslim students and one Sikh student, prompting protests from some right-wing groups.
Abdullah warned that pushing students away on religious grounds was dangerous and hypocritical. “When they go elsewhere, you blame them for it. When they come here to study, you still object. These children just want to become doctors,” he said.
He urged critics not to target Muslim students and reiterated that the Assembly had set up the college as a merit-based institution, not a minority one.
