Srinagar, Jan. 8 -- As the National Medical Commission (NMC) withdrew permission of MBBS course to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Reasi, the political parties in J&K, including National Conference(NC) and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) reacted sharply to the development. While the NMC cited alleged gross deficiencies in infrastructure and faculty, the development came after protests by BJP and other right wing backed organisations in Jammu following the admission of 42 Muslim students out of the sanctioned 50 seats in its first MBBS batch. The admission was granted on the basis of the NEET merit selection. The NC said that communal divide in educational institutions posed a threat to democratic process. Javed Rana, NC leader and minister for Jal Shakti, said that the development was not healthy for J&K. "In a democratic country, if we talk about things that admissions in educational institutes be made on religious basis, then it is devastating for the health of a society. Unfortunately, there has been politics on temple-mosque earlier but today if we talk of admissions on the basis of religion or region, then into which direction we are taking the society," Rana said. PDP leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed Para called it unfortunate that the party which is ruling at centre was dividing institutions on communal lines. "If a party associated with the government at Centre will believe in institutional divisions that meritorious students will be denied admission in a big university because of their religion or their being Muslims and cancel the registration of the institute, it sends a very negative message in the whole of J&K and whole of India," he said. "Against the minorities, it is a very unfortunate move and it also validates that 'politics of division' can't have a future in the state," Para said. Former Srinagar mayor, Junaid Mattu called the development as regressive. "That this retrograde, shameless and regressive step is being celebrated by the right-wing in Jammu should be enough to tell you what has happened and why - to slyly appease the communal voices that had brazenly objected to Muslim students being admitted to the institute through NEET. This political decision dressed as a "regulatory measure" will be recorded in our history as a blot - on our constitution, our civilization and the very idea of India," he said....