Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has pushed back against allegations of regional discrimination over the proposed National Law University, arguing that Jammu has already benefited disproportionately from major central institutions in the past. His remarks come days after he criticised the closure-linked crisis triggered by the National Medical Commission’s decision to cancel recognition of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu, calling it an injustice to students and questioning why a “fully functional” institution had been shut down in the Union Territory.
Speaking in Jammu on the demand for a National Law University in the city, Abdullah said the controversy over fairness appeared one-sided. “Jammu got IIT and IIM. What did Kashmir get at that time? Why did you not speak of equality at that time?” he asked, referring to the establishment of premier institutes in the Jammu region.
He argued that calls for balance were absent when such high-profile institutions were allotted, but are now being raised over the law university. “Why was there no controversy at that time that both institutes should not be in Jammu, one should be in Jammu and the other should be in Kashmir?” he said.
Abdullah said the government had not finalised the location of the proposed National Law University and urged stakeholders to allow the administration to take the call. “Leave this decision to us. No decision has been taken yet as to where it will be located. Let us decide, and then we will see,” he said.
Medical College Issue Adds Political Heat
The Chief Minister’s comments come against the backdrop of heightened tensions following the National Medical Commission’s move to cancel recognition of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu. Abdullah said the immediate priority was to protect students who had secured admission on merit through NEET.
“The students have passed the NEET exam and have merit. It is now our responsibility to accommodate them, and we will accommodate them in a medical college near their homes so that they are not affected,” he said.
Pointing to the intense competition for medical seats nationwide, Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir stood out for the wrong reason. “People all over the country are struggling to get into medical colleges. Ours is the only place where a fully functional medical college has been shut down,” he said, demanding reflection on the “injustice” done to aspiring doctors.