BJP groups incite protests in Jammu against admissions on open merit
Muslim students targeted for securing majority seats on merit
Jammu: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, politically-motivated protest demonstrations were held in Jammu against admissions to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to malign and challenge the principle of open merit.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protests were staged, following the selection of 42 students from the Muslim community out of 50 seats in the MBBS course. Observers and education experts said the outcome reflected the demographic composition of the territory and the fact that admissions were made strictly on open merit, where Muslim students constitute a numerical majority.
In Rajouri, BJP-backed protesters blocked the Jammu–Rajouri–Poonch highway at Salani bridge for over an hour, harassing commuters. Raising communal slogans, the demonstrators sought to portray merit-based admissions as communal bias, a move critics described as a deliberate attempt to politicise education and pit communities against each other.
Similar demonstrations were organised in Poonch, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi districts, with protest leaders openly questioning merit-based selection and exploiting Hindu religious sentiments linked to the shrine to mobilise support.
Political analysts said the protests were part of the BJP’s broader strategy to communalise institutions and undermine equal opportunity by targeting Muslim students who succeed through competitive, transparent processes.
