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Jammu: The Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) and other Hindu organisations on Thursday, November 13, protested the appointment of Muslims at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) Hospital, arguing that the institute should “prioritise hiring Hindus” since it is funded by Hindu devotees.

They demanded that the shrine-funded institution should hire Hindu medical and support staff to uphold the religious sentiments of devotees.

The issue was triggered after it was revealed that Muslims constituted 42 out of 50 students admitted to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in its first batch of MBBS (2025-26).

Denouncing the admissions as “religiously imbalanced,” Hindutva organisations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal called for a Hindu seat reservation or a preference for Hindu students.

Letter to Lt Gov Manoj Sinha

VHP general secretary Bajrang Bagra wrote to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also serves as the chairman of the medical institution, on November 1, that a religious imbalance had arisen following the selection of a majority of Muslim students.

He urged the administration and the Shrine Board to “protect the religious sentiments of devotees.” According to the letter, the Shrine Board should “appropriately accommodate the religious sentiment of the devotees and ensure that the commitment and identity of the institution are not diluted.” 

Bagra additionally appealed to the Board to reconsider its hiring and admission policies to ensure that “Hindu teachers and staff are appointed to uphold the sanctity of the institution.”

The admissions and staff hiring process at the Shrine Board and SMVDIME are strictly regulated by the state domicile rules and NEET merit.

The VHP insisted on major policy changes despite this.

“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 added. He also appealed that public welfare projects undertaken by the Board should not “hurt the sentiments of Mata Rani’s devotees,” the letter read.

Rakesh Bjarangi from Rashtriya Bajrang Dal described the allocation of 42 MBBS seats to Muslims, 7 to Hindus, and 1 to Sikhs as “discriminatory and called for immediate intervention.

There has been no official statement from the Shrine Board in connection with the protests and concerns raised by the groups.

Last week, Hyderabad MLA T Raja Singh had similarly asked the management of SMVDIME to immediately cancel the seats allotted to Muslim students, since they “don’t worship the Hindu deities.”

He had claimed that only Hindus must be admitted to the institution.

“Those who do not visit the temple should not be allowed to work in the college. This is to maintain the sanctity of the temple,” he had stated.

Singh had given his complete support to the Hindus in Jammu, adding, “If need arises, we will come from Hyderabad and join the agitation.”