Jammu Kashmir Admission Row: CM Omar Abdullah Launches Veiled Attack On BJP Over Memorandum To LG

By Amir Tantray

Jammu: Amid the escalating row over admissions to Muslims at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence here, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) for giving a religious colour to the issue.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the 'Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom', an Islamic educational institution in Poonch district. Omar's cabinet colleagues also attended the celebrations and praised the role of the institution in upholding the constitutional and democratic values. The celebrations had begun on Tuesday and culminated today with the Chief Minister addressing a huge gathering in which he reminded all those people who spread hatred and use false propaganda against religious institutions.

The institution was hit by Pakistani shelling during the India-Pakistan armed conflict in May this year in which its longest serving teacher, Maulana Muhammad Iqbal was killed.

Omar praised the institution for upholding the democratic and constitutional values while denouncing elements attempting to communalise the admissions of Muslims at the Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in the wake of the November 10 Delhi blasts carried out by a Kashmiri doctor Dr Umar Nabi as per the National Investigation Agency(NIA).

“When we reached here, the national anthem and other patriotic songs were played and I thought those people who spread venom against religious institutions through social media, news channels and other media outfits, could have got the chance to witness this programme sitting here. Because they don’t get tired by spreading the propaganda that only hatred is taught in these institutions,” Omar said.

The CM's remarks come days after the Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader Sunil Sharma led a party delegation to submit a memorandum to LG Manoj Sinha demanding that admissions at the medical college “take care of sentiments of Mata Vaishno Devi devotees”.

A BJP spokesperson said that Sharma expressed “strong reservations over the selection process, stating that the admissions has triggered widespread anger among devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi and sections of the larger Hindu community”. “He conveyed to the Lieutenant Governor that the selection of a large number of non-Hindu students has caused distress among many devotees”.

CM Omar while backing 'Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom' Poonch attacked communal elements maligning religious institutions. “On the ground things are totally opposite because the way the national anthem was sung, patriotic songs were played and that too on Constitution Day, it is praiseworthy. I wish all those people who spread hatred against such institutions, take money from me to travel Poonch and stay here for a day in Zia-ul-Uloom. The hatred and propaganda against such institutions being spread everywhere in the country is false, and by doing this they are not doing any good to the country,” the Chief Minister said.

“Constitution Day is not to remember the Constitution for an hour but it is to be remembered for every day of the year. What is written in the Preamble is that every religion will get equal treatment; every resident of the country will get the benefit of democracy and will get legal cover. But we are passing through a time when education is also being given a religious colour. Today even in medical colleges, it is being said that Muslims shouldn’t study there, non-Hindus shouldn’t study there. Now, we will put aside the merit of the students and will decide on the religion of the students. Where will the Constitution of the country go?” the CM said, apparently pointing at the BJP.

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