Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Sunday strongly criticised the growing objections to the admission of non-Hindu students in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), calling the move discriminatory and harmful to the country’s secular fabric.
In a post on X, Bukhari said while such objections from fringe elements could be dismissed as misguided and irrelevant, it was “shocking and deeply troubling” to see senior political leaders including Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma and other BJP figures echoing similar sentiments on the issue.
He questioned how a reputed institution like SMVDIME could deny education to students on the basis of their religion, warning that applying such logic to institutions like Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University or the Islamic University of Science and Technology would severely damage social harmony. “Is this really the kind of society we want to build?” he asked.
Drawing parallels with the divisive politics of the past, Bukhari said such a mindset mirrors ideologies that once caused deep wounds to the subcontinent.
“It is truly painful to see attempts being made to block Muslim students from studying at SMVDIME,” he wrote, expressing hope that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would ensure the issue is guided in the right direction.
