Ignoring merit in education, demanding distribution of seats based on religion wrong: Mehbooba

Katra/Jammu, Dec 5 (PTI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said that ignoring merit and demanding distribution of seats based on religion was wrong and would harm the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country.

The political row erupted after the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Medical College completed admissions through the NEET merit list earlier this month, with the college admitting 42 Muslim students, mostly from Kashmir. Besides, seven Hindu students from Jammu and one Sikh were selected for the inaugural MBBS batch of 50.

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination (JKBOPEE) decided to admit these students to the medical college run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in the Katra area of Jammu.

"It is very wrong to ignore merit and demand distribution of seats on the basis of religion. Such things should not happen.

"It will not only spoil the atmosphere of Jammu and Kashmir but will also affect the entire country. If this begins here, it will spread to other parts as well," Mehbooba told reporters here.

The PDP chief, who travelled by the Vande Bharat train from Srinagar to take part in a function at Katra, said that the demand for allotting seats on religious lines should not be entertained.

She recalled that when the universities of Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Ghulam Shah were proposed, land was allotted with the vision of providing quality education to local youth and attracting students from outside the region. "The idea was simple — anyone with merit would get admission. Mata Vaishno Devi University is doing well, while Baba Ghulam Shah University is facing some difficulties," she said.

Referring to the ongoing controversy over admissions, she said it is "completely wrong".

"Jammu and Kashmir belongs to everyone. Jammu has always been known as a place where the lion and the lamb could drink water from the same river," she said Mehbooba said Muslims had chosen to live in the country and raised concern over divisive issues.

Dozens of protests have been held by several organisations in Jammu and other places against granting a majority of the MBBS seats to Muslim students from Kashmir at a medical college in Reasi district. They have been demanding a probe, alleging a major conspiracy against the educational institution.

Replying to a query about her visit, Mehbooba said travelling on the Vande Bharat train had been a good experience. "It was a beautiful journey. Katra is the abode of Mata Vaishno Devi. I used to come here even during my college days," she said. PTI AB AB KSS KSS