Shazia Shah | Kashmir Pen
Srinagar, Nov 25: CM Omar Abdullah on Monday strongly criticised proposals to designate a government medical college as a minority institution, calling the argument “misleading” and rooted in discriminatory intent.
Reacting under the hashtag #OmarSpeaks, the Chief Minister questioned why those advocating the change did not raise the issue during the college’s establishment. He emphasised that admissions to all medical colleges are conducted strictly through NEET, where “religion has no role whatsoever.”
“If they wanted this Medical College to be a Minority Institution, why didn’t they declare it at the time of construction?” Omar said. “If the real issue is that you don’t want Muslim students studying there, say it openly.”
He added that declaring the institution as a minority college would, by default, make students from other communities ineligible, forcing them to seek admission elsewhere. “Let’s not hide behind false narratives,” he remarked, urging transparency in public discourse.
Omar Abdullah’s remarks come amid growing debate over the proposal, which has triggered strong political and civil society reactions across Jammu and Kashmir | Kashmir Pen
