Not Hindu vs Muslim — It’s BJP vs Justice: Tony on Vaishno Devi Admissions Row
Jammu, Nov 20, 2025: Senior Congress leader and DDC Suchetgarh Taranjit Singh Tony today urged people to protest against what he termed the BJP’s “administrative blunder” — its failure to get minority status for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), a lapse he said directly caused the controversy surrounding the first MBBS admission list.
Tony firmly stated that the issue should not be communalised, stressing that the responsibility lies entirely with the BJP, which “ignored repeated appeals and failed to get minority status for a shrine-run medical college that clearly deserved it.”
“This is not about Hindus, Muslims, or Sikhs. This is about the BJP-led Central government’s total failure. The BJP should have got minority status for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, but they failed. Had they acted on time, this situation would never have occurred,” Tony said.
He accused the BJP of misleading devotees and failing to protect an institution built solely from the donations, faith, and contributions of Hindu pilgrims.
Tony stressed that while the medical profession has no religious identity, the BJP’s administrative negligence is what led to the skewed admissions.
“Doctors, teachers, professors — they don’t have a religion. Merit has no religion. But minority status is a legal right, and the BJP failed to secure that right for a shrine-funded college. That is why this skewed list happened,” he said.
He urged the public to direct their anger at the BJP, not at any community.
“The real question is simple: Why did the BJP fail to get minority protection for a Hindu shrine-run college? The protest should be against the BJP government, not any religion.”
Tony accused the BJP of pretending to be the custodian of Hindu interests while failing to carry out even the most basic administrative steps necessary to safeguard the institution.
He said, “BJP leaders are only speaking now because protests have begun. Their silence throughout the admission process exposes their hypocrisy.”
Calling the BJP’s recent comments “reactionary politics,” Tony added, “They are shedding crocodile tears today. They remained silent when the admission list was being prepared under their own government. Their statements now cannot hide their failure when action was needed.”
Concluding with a direct appeal to devotees, Tony said, “Devotees must protest — not against any community, but against the BJP government that failed them. This is not communalism; this is accountability. The BJP owes answers.”
