Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 8: National Conference Additional General Secretary and former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for mischievously orchestrating conspiracy to sabotage the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), saying that the withdrawal of permission to the new medical college has once again exposed the deeply entrenched anti-Jammu mindset of the Sangh Parivar.
In a scathing statement, Sadhotra said it is highly unfortunate and alarming that an institution of professional excellence, which held immense promise for the youth of Jammu, has been pushed into uncertainty through deliberate failure. He said the denial of permission to SMVDIME by the National Medical Commission (NMC) will have grave and long-term consequences for the academic future of thousands of aspiring doctors from the Jammu region. This reflects a calculated attempt to deprive Jammu of vital institutions of higher learning, he regretted.
Sadhotra said that had SMVDIME been allowed to function smoothly, the number of MBBS seats would have eventually gone far beyond the present 50 seats, substantially benefiting the youth of Jammu and strengthening the region’s healthcare system. Snatching away such an institution at a nascent stage amounts to throttling Jammu’s growth and aspirations, he added.
Expressing shock and disbelief, Sadhotra questioned how SMVDIME, which functions under the direct administrative control of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, failed to fulfil mandatory norms required for continuation of medical courses. He said this glaring lapse cannot be dismissed as routine or accidental. “Either there has been gross incompetence or there is a mala fide intent engineered by the anti-Jammu BJP. Both scenarios demand answers, accountability, and exposure,” he added and demanded that those responsible for this mischief be identified and held accountable without delay.
Reiterating the National Conference’s firm resolve, Mr Sadhotra said the party will not allow the careers of Jammu and Kashmir’s youth to be pushed to the brink due to political indifference, administrative incompetence, or deliberate sabotage. NC will mobilise public opinion and take up the issue at every democratic forum to ensure justice for the region, he said.
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