The Chief Minister of India-occupied Kashmir, 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 Kashmir Media Service (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 is being celebrated. The meaning of Constitution Day is not that we remember the Constitution for an hour … its meaning is that every day of the year, we must keep it alive,” Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Kashmir Observer.

The chief executive of the occupied territory noted that the Indian constitution’s preamble grants equal status to all religions, ensures democratic rights for every citizen and guarantees protection under the law, according to the Observer’s report.

It added that he expressed concern that the country was witnessing a trend where even educational institutions were being viewed through a communal lens.

“Today, in one of the medical colleges, it is being said that Muslims and non-Hindus should not study here. If we set aside merit and start making decisions on the basis of religion, then where will the Constitution go?” he was quoted as saying about the rejection of the student list.

On Monday, Abdullah said that when the bill to establish the university was passed, there was no mention of people being excluded from admissions based on their religion.

“Where was it written?” he asked the press. “It was said that admissions will be based on merit and not religion. When admission is granted based on merit, then some people don’t like that. If they are not in favour, then they can approach the Supreme Court.”

He added that admissions cannot be decided without merit and said that admitting students based on religion would violate the Indian constitution.

“Will social welfare schemes be handled based on religion?” He asked. “Will ration shops ask about [the customer’s] religion? Will policemen work based on religion?

“Right now, secularism remains a key part of our constitution. If you do not want to keep the nation secular, then remove that from the constitution,” he added. “You (BJP) do what you will, we’ll do what we will.”

In response to a question, Abdullah reiterated, “When students will be granted admission, it will be on merit. Some students will excel, while others will be left behind. It’s nobody’s fault.”

In another press talk on Tuesday, the CM said that when the college was being built, it should have been classified as a “minority institute” in order to allow admission to any one religious group.

“Admissions are based on NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test) and entrance tests, not on religion,” he reiterated. “If you don’t want Muslims to study here, then declare it a minority institute. They’ll get admission elsewhere … they’ll go to Bangladesh or Turkiye.

“But, if you point the finger at Muslims and call them communal, sectarian and don’t tolerate their children, then remember this situation,” he added.

“When children are ready to attend an institution like Mata Vaishno Devi, they are not concerned about the name or where the funding comes from; they want to study and become doctors,” the CM said. “Now you want them to be denied admission based on their religion.”