Politics

‘Faith fine, but admissions are by merit’: Omar Abdullah hits out at BJP on SMVDIME row

JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday asked BJP leader Sunil Sharma to push for declaring Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) a minority institute to keep away non-Hindu students. However, he said such leaders should remember their opposition to the admission of Muslim students in the medical […]

Politics

SMVDIME Admission Row: Sajad Lone hits out at BJP for attempting to ‘communalise the medical sciences’

SRINAGAR — People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone hit out at the attempt to “communalise the medical sciences” after a BJP MLA demanded reservations for Hindus in MBBS admissions of a university. Lone, a former ally of the BJP, asserted that positions in medical colleges should be secured through a merit-based national-level test. Several Hindu […]

Politics

‘Misguided, dangerous’: Tanvir Sadiq slams BJP demand to scrap SMVDIME admission list

JAMMU — National Conference (NC) leader Tanvir Sadiq on Sunday criticised the BJP’s call to revoke the admission list at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), saying the demand to reserve seats for students who have faith in the deity is “misguided and dangerous”. Disgruntled BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal also criticised […]

Politics

BJP legislators meet LG in Jammu; demands revocation of first MBBS admission list in SMVDIME

JAMMU — A delegation of BJP legislators late Saturday called on Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and sought the revocation of the first admission list issued by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Reasi district. The delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma questioned […]

Jammu

Rashtriya Bajrang Dal seeks minority status for Vaishno Devi medical college, protests in Jammu

JAMMU — Demanding grant of “minority institution” status to the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) to enable reservation of seats for Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) on Wednesday protested here against the admission list, alleging that nearly 70 per cent of the seats had […]