BJP giving communal twist to hide failure of Centre, SMVDSB: Congress

Jammu, Nov 27: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “making attempts to twist the facts on SMVDIME admission issue to communalise the situation in order to hide the failure of its government at the Centre and the management at SMVDSB.”

JKPCC chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, joined by the former minister and JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla and other senior leaders, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarter in Jammu, alleged, “Questions should be posed to BJP, which was giving a communal twist to the issue of admissions in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), established and funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, to hide the culpability of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare led by its (BJP) president J P Nadda and the management of the SMVDSB, headed by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.”

“It is the BJP government at the Centre, especially the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the management of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and the Institute responsible for their failure to take care of the religious sentiments and rights of Hindus, while granting necessary registration, recognition and permission to the institute, as per relevant norms,” Sharma said.

He said none said that there was any illegality or bungling in the matter of selections or allocation of seats to candidates.

“It (selection/admission) appears to have been done by the competent authority, in accordance with the norms and rules applicable at the time of admissions. Then why to give communal twist and raise questions on the admissions, for the fault of concerned authorities at the helm of affairs. All the concerned authorities belong to BJP and its system. But they failed to safeguard the rights and religious sentiments of the community by not adopting an appropriate course available under law and norms,” JKPCC chief spokesperson alleged.

He said that when there were similar examples and safeguards already available in the region, the BJP and BJP-led government and authorities should blame themselves only for the entire issue.

“They (BJP) owe an apology to the people of Jammu and rest of the country, whom they are trying to provoke for their political vested interests and hate politics. The BJP and its entire brigade of MLAs, MPs and a powerful minister at the Centre from the region should explain their deep slumber over such issues of religious sensitivities and seek an apology not only for their failures but also for their attempts to surcharge the atmosphere for creating wedge in the society on the sensitive issue,” Sharma demanded.

He said, “The BJP and its governments and the concerned (Board) authorities are well advised to ask their own national president J P Nadda to immediately take necessary steps for course correction to honour the rights and religious sentiments of the Hindu people, as per already existing norms in this regard, without vitiating the peaceful atmosphere and communal harmony in the region and elsewhere.”

Former MLCs Ved Mahajan, Naresh Gupta and president DCC Jammu Urban Manmohan Singh and Neeraj Gupta also joined Sharma and Bhalla in the press conference.

On the occasion, the Congress also launched an online talent hunt for inducting public spirited young, dynamic persons in the media department of the party, at all levels of DCC, PCC and upwards.

Launching the hunt, the PCC leaders explained that AICC media department as per guidance of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, took this initiative to open doors for all spirited young people, believing in Congress ideology to join the ranks of media department from district, PCC levels up to the national level, by applying on line for the competition. “Any spirited person can apply on line directly to the AICC, as per format before December 10, 2025 to take part in the competition, for which vigorous campaign is being launched,” it was announced.

AICC Spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra and senior AICC leader Hari Shanker Gupta will supervise the process under overall guidance of chairman AICC Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera and Ravinder Sharma, chief spokesperson of PCC, they added.