Hindutva groups protest merit-based admission of Muslim students, doctors in Jammu hospital
Jammu: In a blatant display of anti-Muslim prejudice, Hindutva groups staged protests against the merit-based admission of Muslim doctors and students at a hospital in Jammu.
According to Kashmir Media Service, various Hindutva organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, and Yuva Rajput Sabha, opposed the appointments at the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Hospital, terming the admissions “religiously imbalanced” and demanding preferential treatment for Hindu students. They claimed that a shrine-funded institution should employ Hindu medical and support staff to reflect the religious sentiments of devotees.
The controversy erupted after it was revealed that 42 out of 50 students admitted on merit to the first MBBS batch (2025–26) at the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) were Muslims.
In a letter to IIOJK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, VHP general secretary Bajrang Bagra claimed that the majority-Muslim admissions created a “religious imbalance” and urged the administration and Shrine Board to review hiring and admission policies to prioritize Hindu teachers and staff.
However, admissions and staff recruitment at SMVDIME and the Shrine Board hospital are governed strictly by NEET merit, leaving no provision for religious consideration.
Despite this, the VHP insisted on policy changes. “We expect the Shrine Board to promptly review its admission and appointment policies so that the religious commitment of the institution and the expectations of devotees are preserved,” Bagra added.
Analysts say such protests reflect a growing pattern of religious discrimination, attempting to undermine meritocracy in education and employment, and marginalize Muslim professionals in IIOJK.
