Sharma said the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institution of Excellence (SMVDIE) is run on donations offered by devotees at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, and therefore the “local Hindu community should have the primary right to benefit from it”.

“SMVDIE is run on the donations offered by devotees at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, and it’s imperative that the local Hindu community has a primary right to benefit from it. We’re not against students of any religion studying in any other institutions, but this is a special case. I strongly believe that the local community deserves priority consideration,” Sharma said, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

He alleged that instead of promoting inclusivity, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was “perpetuating communal discord” through his stand on the issue.

“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is playing divisive politics on religious lines. Instead of fostering inclusivity, he’s perpetuating communal discord,” the BJP leader said, urging the CM to amend the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) Act.

Sharma demanded that the government move to “rectify the historical oversight” which he said was committed by the then National Conference government headed by Farooq Abdullah.

“In 1999, their government granted special reservations in Baba Ghulam Shah University, an act that was passed in the same year. It’s only fair that we address this anomaly and prioritize the interests of the local community,” Sharma said.

He called on the present dispensation to revisit the SMVDU Act and introduce provisions that would ensure priority to the local Hindu population in educational and employment opportunities linked to the shrine-funded institution.

Sharma stated that his party was not opposing the presence or participation of students from any religion in educational institutions, but reiterated that SMVDU’s funding pattern and religious linkage made it a “distinct case” warranting special treatment for locals. (KINS)