New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has welcomed the decision of the National Medical Commission (NMC) to withdraw permission to Jammu’s Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to run an MBBS course, saying that other states should take note and that “Hindu money” should be used for “Hindu cause”.
“The Vishva Hindu Parishad welcomes the decision taken in the context of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College. All state governments should take note for the adherence to the just and constitutionally compliant principle ‘Hindu Money for Hindu Cause’,” it stated on X.
The medical institute is funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which receives donations from Hindu devotees.
Speaking to ThePrint, Vinod Bansal, national spokesperson of VHP, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said they have been demanding for quite some time that Hindu religious places should be freed from government control.
“Hindu money should be used for Hindu causes, which is why we welcome the decision regarding Mata Vaishno Devi medical college. At the same time, the money collected (deity’s money) should be spent on the upkeep of the deities and devotees,” he added.
He further said that a number of “non-believers” had been given admission in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi College of Nursing, which was a cause of concern.
“Not only this, a number of employees of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board are non-believers too, which is against the constitution of the board and Hindu belief. The Hindu society will not accept this,” he asserted.
The row over the medical college was triggered when, for academic year 2025-26, the institute admitted 50 students, of which 42 were from the Muslim community. Locals and Hindu organisations, including the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, protested, demanding that the admission be confined to Hindu students and arguing that the college was largely run on donations received from Hindu devotees.
On Tuesday, the NMC withdrew the permission granted to the medical college to run an MBBS course citing non-compliance with minimum standards. It also said the admitted students would be accommodated in other government-run medical colleges in the UT against supernumerary seats.
A video of Sangharsh Samiti and other Jammu-based organisations welcoming the withdrawal of permission went viral Wednesday. The organisations even took out a victory march.
While J&K BJP leaders claim that the withdrawal had nothing to do with politics, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed the move as unfortunate.
Leader of the opposition in the assembly, Sunil Sharma, speaking to the media, welcomed the NMC decision and said it was done after receiving complaints about lack of infrastructure. He maintained that public sentiment was hurt when admissions were given to students from one particular community. He had also met the Samiti members after the controversy broke out.
“Sentiments of a sanatani, Hindu, were affected because the donations made to the religious place are for Hindu causes. The shrine board, by opening a medical college, had hurt the sentiments of the people and the health ministry and NMC have kept the faith of people alive and respected it,” he said.
“I would like to congratulate the people. Under the Sangharsh Samiti umbrella, everyone led a fight and their sentiments were respected.”
He alleged that the CM tried to give the row “a religious angle” and had “got a good answer through this decision”.
“We have always maintained that faith should be respected and donation money should be used for dharm prachar (dissemination of religious knowledge). We have no issue with any child (who got admission). But people’s money cannot be used for some other cause. A gurukul or Veda research centre can be opened. The CM, though, is busy trying to give it a religious angle, which is not correct,” he added.
BJP leader Sat Sharma also welcomed the NMC decision and asserted it had nothing to do with the party or government in power at the Centre.
“The NMC team found serious deficiencies at the medical college during a surprise inspection. NMC is an autonomous body and it doesn’t function according to the government or political parties. It received complaints about inadequate infrastructure and shortage of teachers. We can’t question the decision,” he said.
“I would like to thank Union health minister J.P. Nadda for his intervention, which will allow the affected students to continue their studies in other colleges.”
Also Read: Behind Jammu medical college losing recognition amid Muslim admissions row, a ‘surprise inspection’
‘If you are happy, burst crackers’
Abdullah, speaking to the media, termed the NMC move as unfortunate and said the future of children was being played with.
“The issue has taken a political turn. In other parts of the country, people fight to bring (set up) medical colleges. But here, a fight was fought to close the medical college. You have played with the future of Jammu & Kashmir’s children. If you are feeling happy about destroying children’s future, then burst crackers,” he said.
“This time, 40 of 50 children came from Kashmir, after one-two years, these 50 seats would have become 400, and out of those 400 seats, it is possible that 200-250 would have been from Jammu,” he added.
The CM said he had asked the health minister to adjust the children at their nearest medical colleges. “So that they become doctors and serve people here. The students who will not get a medical college seat in the future because it has been closed should remember the Sangharsh Samiti,” he asserted.
The NMC decision was also criticised by PDP leaders. “Heights of bigotry is Jammu celebrating the closure of a medical college only because it paved opportunities for Muslim students,” said Iltija Mufti, PDP leader.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: VHP, Bajrang Dal’s Garba action plan—women helpline to report harassment, prevent ‘love jihad’