Raja Syed Rather
Jammu, Nov 25 : Stating that Muslim children must not be pushed to the wall, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned why the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) was not granted minority status at the time of its establishment if the intention was to reserve seats for a particular community.
“Why was the institute not granted minority status when the medical college was established?” Omar, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said while speaking to reporters here after laying the foundation stone for an automated vehicle testing station.
Reacting to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, the CM said, “You were supposed to grant minority status (to SMVDU), but you didn’t. Admissions are made solely on the basis of NEET and other entrance tests. Religion is not considered. Now, if you want Muslims not to study there, then declare it a minority institute, and the Muslim and Sikh children enrolled there will leave and seek admission elsewhere.”
Omar said these children secured admission based on merit and should be enrolled elsewhere. “But no finger should be pointed at Muslims, calling them communal, sectarian, or intolerant of others. If something happens to their children, don’t blame the entire community,” he said.
The Chief Minister added, “Why do they go to places where they become radicalised? When students are willing to attend a medical college like Mata Vaishno Devi, they don’t care about the name of Mata Vaishno Devi or the institution’s funding. They are all about education. They want to become doctors. Now you want to deny them admission based on their religion. If tomorrow they go to another institution and become radicalised again, who will be to blame? Will Sunil Sharma say he’s to blame?”
Abdullah urged not to push Muslim children like this. “Our children will get admission elsewhere. They will go to Bangladesh, Turkey, or somewhere else,” he added.
Meanwhile, speaking about the automated vehicle testing station, the CM said, “If even one accident is prevented and a precious life is saved, I would say we have fully benefited from this centre.”
He added that many people lose their lives due to road accidents, and it has often been found that complaints about unfit vehicles surface only after accidents.
“Therefore, we have come up with two automated testing centres, one for Pampore and one for Nagrota. Currently, their foundation stones have been laid, and both are being operated on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with private parties. It is expected that both will be operational within six months,” he said.
Omar said vehicle testing will be conducted through computers, and any vehicle failing the test will never be on the road again. He further said that the centre at Nagrota may not be sufficient for Jammu to cover Doda, Kishtwar, or Rajouri-Poonch.
“Our effort now will be to open two more centres, one in Pir Panchal and one in Chenab, to ensure more vehicles can be tested and road accidents reduced,” CM Abdullah said—(KNO)
