Jammu, Jan 6: The Civil Secretariat in Jammu was sealed on Tuesday as a precautionary measure following a protest call by the newly formed Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti over MBBS admissions at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), officials said.
The Sangharsh Samiti has alleged religious bias by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in admitting non-Hindu students to the medical college. The group has demanded that the admission process be scrapped or the institute shut down, while also warning of intensified protests, including signature campaigns and boycott calls.
To prevent any law and order situation, police sealed the high-security Civil Secretariat premises and deployed hundreds of personnel under the supervision of senior officers. A police official said no protester would be allowed to approach the Secretariat.
Leaders of the Sangharsh Samiti have also raised allegations of misuse of shrine funds and sought intervention from BJP leaders and the Lieutenant Governor. Several right-wing organisations have echoed objections to the admission process, attempting to project it as a contentious issue.
The government, however, has firmly rejected the allegations, stating that all admissions at SMVDIME were conducted strictly on the basis of merit and in accordance with established medical admission norms. Officials reiterated that religion played no role in the selection process.
Authorities said the situation remained calm and under control, with security arrangements put in place purely as a preventive step to maintain public order in the area.