Jammu, Dec 1: The Yuva Rajput Sabha on Monday staged a protest in Jammu demanding that Muslim students selected for the MBBS batch at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) be shifted out and that reservation be introduced for Hindu students.
The protest erupted after 42 Muslim candidates, mostly from Kashmir, along with one Sikh and seven Hindu students, were selected through NEET for the 50 sanctioned MBBS seats for the 2025–26 academic session. The selection list triggered sharp criticism from the organisation, which alleged discrimination against the Hindu community.
SMVDIME, constructed on 34 acres of Shrine Board land, received approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) on September 8 to begin admissions for the current academic session.
Led by Yuva Rajput Sabha president Mandeep Singh, activists demonstrated at Jammu’s Tawi Bridge, claiming the admissions were part of a “conspiracy” against Jammu and its Hindu minority. They accused the administration of framing “flawed legislative bylaws” that, according to them, prevented community-based reservations.
Protesters also accused the government and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration of not granting reservation benefits to Hindus similar to those they claimed exist in institutions like Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, the Islamic University of Science and Technology, and Mahant Bijender Singh educational institutes.
“This is not just a protest but a matter of faith. Mata Vaishno Devi University and its colleges hold deep significance for the people of Jammu. The Act and bylaws have been framed in a way that harms Hindu interests,” Mandeep Singh told reporters.
The organisation threatened to intensify protests if the administration does not respond within 15 days. It extended full support to the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Sangharsh Samiti (SMVSS), an umbrella group pushing similar demands.
The Sabha urged the Lieutenant Governor, the J&K government, and the Centre to fulfil assurances regarding admissions and also sought the declaration of Mata Vaishno Devi University as a minority institution. They further appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to amend the university’s Act and bylaws “in the welfare of Sanatan Dharma and Hindu students.”
