SRINAGAR: Protests broke out outside Lok Bhavan in Jammu on Saturday after demonstrators set fire to an effigy of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, demanding the cancellation of the MBBS admission list of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Reasi district.
Dozens of protesters, led by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, assembled outside the Raj Bhavan complex, raising slogans including “LG go back”. The agitation was sparked by objections to the composition of the inaugural MBBS batch admitted through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test merit list.
The protest resulted in the blockade of the main road outside Lok Bhavan, causing traffic disruptions and inconvenience to commuters for over an hour and a half. Police personnel were deployed in strength to prevent protesters from entering the premises and to regulate traffic in the area.
The demonstration saw participation from activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s women wing and several trade leaders, including Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries president Arun Gupta.
Speaking to reporters, Sangharsh Samiti convener Colonel Sukhvir Singh Mankotia said the protest would continue until their demands were met. He claimed that the issue was linked to religious sentiments and called for reserving seats in the medical college exclusively for Hindu students. “We are not against students of any religion, but the seats should be reserved for Hindu students only,” he said.
Mankotia added that the protest was staged outside Lok Bhavan as the Lieutenant Governor is the chairman of the shrine board and holds responsibility for safeguarding religious sentiments. He further said the government should consider shutting down the medical college if reservation of seats for Hindu students was not possible.
The controversy stems from the admission of the first batch of 50 MBBS students last month, which includes 42 Muslim candidates, mostly from Kashmir, seven Hindu students from Jammu and one Sikh candidate.
The protests were initially launched by right-wing Hindu organisations and later led to the formation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti. Its leaders have previously held meetings with the Lieutenant Governor and senior central government functionaries, including the Union health minister, seeking redressal of their demands.
