Altaf Bukhari terms admission row at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute “frustration” of fringe elements
Srinagar, Nov 23: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today said that those objecting to the admission of non-Hindu students in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) are “fringe” elements of the society. He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and guide the matter in the right direction.
Taking to micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter) Bukhari noted: "When fringe elements of society object to the admission of non-Hindu students in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), one can understand their frustration and flawed logic, and one can simply ignore these voices”.
“However, it is shocking and deeply troubling to see figures like Sunil Sharma, the leader of Opposition in the assembly and other BJP leaders, echoing the same tone and tenor as these fringe elements on this issue,” he said.
He also said, “How can a reputed institution like SMVDIME discriminate against students because of their religion? And if this logic is applied tomorrow to institutions like Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) or the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), forcing them to admit only students from one community, what will that do to our social harmony and secular values? Is this really the kind of society we want to build?”.
“This mindset mirrors the ideology once pursued by leaders like Jinnah—an ideology that inflicted lasting damage to the subcontinent,” Bukhari continued.
While expressing his pain over the attempts being made to obstruct the entry of Muslim students in the health institute, Bukhari appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene into the matter.
“It is truly painful to see attempts being made to block Muslim students from studying at SMVDIME. I place my trust in the wisdom of the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home Minister to guide this matter in the right direction,” Bukhari added.
