Jammu, Jan 10: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Students Union on Saturday staged a protest outside the Press Club Jammu against the closure of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, asserting that the move is against the interests of the people of Jammu.
During the protest, students raised slogans and carried party flags along with placards highlighting their demands. The placards seen at the protest read “Justice for Jammu & Kashmir” and “Education over politics,” reflecting the protesters’ stand that educational institutions should not be dragged into political disputes.
Addressing reporters, the protesters said that the Sangharsh Samiti does not represent the entire Jammu region and accused it of misleading people for political gains. They said there is a large section of people of Jammu who are strongly opposed to the closure of the medical college and are demanding its continuation in the larger public interest.
The protesters as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust, further said that attempts to project the issue as a regional divide are harmful and unjustified. They alleged that those advocating for a separate Jammu narrative are doing so for their own political survival and cannot be considered well-wishers of the region.
They said the closure of the medical college would severely affect aspiring medical students and healthcare infrastructure in the area, and urged the authorities to immediately reverse the decision. The protesting students demanded that education be prioritised over politics and that the future of students should not be jeopardised due to political pressure or divisive agendas.
The protest concluded peacefully, with the students reiterating their demand for justice and fair treatment for Jammu and Kashmir in matters related to education and public welfare. [KNT]
