Tensions have escalated in Jammu following protests by the Yuva Rajput Sabha alongside several Hindu groups opposing the hiring of Muslim doctors at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Hospital. They argue that an institution funded by Hindu devotees should prioritize the employment of Hindu medical and support staff to reflect the beliefs of the devotees.
The controversy intensified after it was revealed that 42 out of the 50 students admitted to the inaugural MBBS class (2025–26) at the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) are from the Muslim community. Various Hindutva organizations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, criticized the admissions as “religiously imbalanced” and called for reservation or preference for Hindu students.
In a recent Twitter post, the IANS reported that Yuva Rajput Sabha members protested against the employment of doctors from specific communities at the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board hospital.
In a letter dated November 1 to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, VHP General Secretary Bajrang Bagra claimed the disproportionate number of Muslim students created “religious imbalance.” He urged the administration and the Shrine Board to be sensitive to the religious sentiments of devotees, asserting that institutions affiliated with the Shrine Board should reflect the faith of the devotees and not dilute their commitment and identity.
Bagra requested a review of the hiring and admission policies to ensure that Hindu teachers and staff are appointed, preserving the institution’s sanctity. However, it’s important to note that admissions and staff recruitment at SMVDIME and the Shrine Board hospital adhere strictly to NEET merit and Jammu and Kashmir domicile regulations, with no religious criteria taken into account.
Despite this, the VHP is pressing for 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 emphasized. He also urged that public welfare projects undertaken by the Board should not offend the sentiments of Mata Rani’s devotees.
Rakesh Bajrangi, President of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal Jammu, characterized the distribution of MBBS seats—42 allotted to Muslims, seven to Hindus, and one to a Sikh—as “discriminatory,” demanding immediate intervention. The Shrine Board has not yet released an official statement responding to the ongoing protests or concerns raised by these organizations.
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