Foundation for two ATSs laid, two more to come up at Jammu
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the BJP should push for declaring Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), which is at the centre of controversy over 42 out of 50 admissions to the students of a particular community, a minority institute, to keep away non-Hindu students.
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Responding to a question on the sidelines of a function to lay foundation stone for Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) at Nagrota and Pampore here, he said Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma should push for declaration of SMVDIME a minority institute but remember that their opposition to the admission of Muslim students whenever they try to raise a finger against the community.
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Replying to another question on white-collar terror module busted by Jammu and Kashmir Police involving doctors including those affiliated with Al-Falah University and a blast at Nowgam police station, Omar said questions were asked why the Kashmiri doctors went to the Institute where they got radicalized.
“When the children are ready to get education at Mata Vaishno Devi College, having no issue with its name or funding to pursue their education and become doctors, you want to deny them their admission raking up the issue of religion. Tomorrow, if they go to any other Institute where they will get radicalized, can BJP take the responsibility?” the Chief Minister asked.
He said the students got admission on merit. “When you point fingers against Muslims, you say that they have become communal, they have become sectarian, they do not tolerate others, then remember this: When you do not accept their children, then tomorrow, when something happens, do not blame the entire community,” he added.
Asserting that faith is fine, he, however, asserted that when the college was being constructed, it should have been given the minority status at that time as the admissions happen on the basis of NEET and other tests and not on the basis of religion.
“Now if you want Muslims to not get admission in this institute, let it be the case. Declare it a minority institute and the Muslims and one Sikh student who have secured their admission on the basis of their merit should be given seats somewhere else,” Omar said.
Advising the BJP leaders, who recently met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the issue of SMVDIME admissions, not to push Muslim students like this saying if you want that Muslim students not study in the Shrine Board Institute you can change its status?
“Then our children will get admission somewhere else like Bangladesh or Turkey,” he said.
The SMVDIME was granted 50 Medical seats for current sessions but of them, 42 students of a particular community got admissions, leading to controversy and protests from various Hindu bodies like Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Sanatan Dharam Sabha on the ground that the Institute runs purely on the donations of one community.
On the foundation stone laying ceremony for construction of two Automated Testing Stations (ATSs)-one each at Nagrota in Jammu and Pampore in Kashmir valley, the Chief Minister said “even if a single accident is avoided and even one precious life is saved, I will say these stations have benefitted us”.
Road accidents claim numerous lives and mostly the post accident investigation indicate that the vehicle was not worth plying on the roads, he said.
Omar said the foundation stones for ATSs were laid through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Mode and it is expected that both the stations will start working within six months.
“The vehicles will be tested through computers and which failed in the tests will not run on the road,” he said.
The Chief Minister said two more such stations will be set up in Jammu-one each in Pir Panjal and Chenab regions, to cover the entire division so that more vehicles are subjected to testing and accidents are checked.
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