Medical College Admission Row: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti stages protest against LG outside Lok Bhavan

STC NEWS DESK
JAMMU, DECEMBER 27 (STC): A protest was organised by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, a recently-formed conglomeration of various right-wing organizations, outside Lok Bhawan today. Dozens of protesters under this banner gathered here and set ablaze an effigy of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. They were demanding revocation of the MBBS admission list of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence. They raised slogans such as “LG go back”.
The protest led to the blocking of the main road outside Lok Bhavan, resulting in traffic snarls on adjoining roads and causing hardship to commuters for more than one-and-a-half hours.
According to the reports, JK BJP’s women activists and several trade leaders including president of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries Arun Gupta also joined the protest.
Reports further state that Police personnel were deployed in strength outside the Lok Bhavan to maintain law and order and the protesters were pushed back as they tried to move inside the complex.
“We will continue our protest till the resolution of our genuine demands which are related to our faith. We are not against students of any particular religion, we just want the seats in the medical college to be reserved for Hindu students alone,” Samiti convener Colonel Sukhvir Singh Mankotia told media.
He said they have staged the protest outside the Lok Bhavan because Lt Governor is the chairman of the shrine board and it is his responsibility to ensure that the religious sentiments of any community should not be hurt.
Mankotia said the government should close the medical college if there is any problem in reserving the seats for the Hindu students.
The controversy began after admissions for the inaugural MBBS batch of 50 students were completed through the NEET merit list last month. This batch includes 42 Muslim candidates, mostly from Kashmir, seven Hindu students from Jammu and one Sikh candidate.
Notably, the Sangarsh Samiti and its leaders have already held talks with Lt Governor and leaders of the central government including Union health minister regarding the matter.
(Straight Talk Communications)