The Shiv Sena proposes seat swapping to resolve the issue of over-admission to the Vaishno Devi Medical College.

By Ayush Sachan

The Shiv Sena (UBT) Jammu and Kashmir unit has proposed seat swapping (adjusting students between government medical colleges) to resolve the controversy surrounding the admission list of the medical college managed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

In the maiden batch of MBBS course at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, 42 Muslim students were given admission out of a total of 50 students.

Shiv Sena also demanded that Hindus be informed that they are a minority in Jammu and Kashmir for being granted reservation in educational institutions managed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Party’s state president, Manish Sahni, expressed his opposition to creating confusion and jeopardizing the future of students from any community. He emphasized his desire to avoid pushing Jammu toward a new movement similar to the Amarnath land row in 2008. However, he firmly stated that admitting individuals from other communities, bypassing Hindus, into colleges and universities managed by Hindu temples and monasteries is absolutely intolerable.

He urged the lieutenant governor and chief minister to address the current situation by “swapping” seats, which means transferring students between medical colleges. He also suggested that admissions could be granted to vacant seats in other medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. This approach would resolve the issue peacefully and foster mutual brotherhood, he said.