IIOJK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday assailed the use of religion as a criterion for student admissions at the territory’s Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, according to Kashmiri media.

According to the KMS, the institute was sanctioned 50 MBBS seats for the current academic year. Of the 50 seats, 42 were allotted to Muslim students based on merit, sparking protests from right-wing Hindu groups and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who said Hindu students should be prioritised as the institution’s funding came from donations to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

Speaking at the golden jubilee programme of Jamia Ziaul Uloom institute in Poonch, Abdullah said that Constitution Day “should not be reduced to a symbolic observance”.

“Today, Constitution Day

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