Jammu, Nov. 27 -- Amid political slugfest over admission to maiden batch of MBBS course in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), the J&K Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday slammed chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah and asked him if he was CM of entire Jammu and Kashmir or just Kashmir. On his part, CM Omar Abdullah said that rising religious discrimination in education undermines the very spirit of the Constitution. The merit list of first batch to SMVDIME, which has 42 Muslim students, one Sikh and seven Hindu students, has stirred a hornet's nest across Jammu region with several Hindu organisations demanding that the list be revoked and necessary amendments be made into Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act, 1999 for admission to Hindu candidates only. Addressing media persons here, chief spokesperson of the J&K BJP, advocate Sunil Sethi said that the BJP was trying to amicably sort out the issue where religious sentiment of Hindus and legal right of students admitted to the first batch can be safeguarded. "BJP feels that there should be no tampering with the religious sentiment of the people. However, CM is trying to create a divide with his statements. Is Omar Abdullah, CM of Kashmir alone or UT of J&K," he asked. "Omar's anti-national feelings against India came to the fore when he talked about sending Kashmiri students to Bangladesh, Turkiye and Al-Falah, if they were denied admission in SMDIME," he added. Sethi assured that the BJP was fully abreast with the issue and constantly explored ways to resolve it. "We assure the people that BJP will resolve it safeguarding religious sentiments and legal rights of students," he said. Speaking on the occasion of Constitution Day, CM Omar Abdullah said the day must inspire a daily commitment to uphold the values of equality and justice enshrined in the country's founding document, cautioning that rising religious discrimination in education undermines the very spirit of the Constitution. Speaking at the golden jubilee programme of Jamia Zia-ul-Uloom education institute in the border district of Poonch, Abdullah said the 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," he said, noting that the Preamble grants equal status to all religions, ensures democratic rights for every citizen and guarantees protection under the law. Advocate Abhinav Sharma, another spokesperson of the BJP, said that the CM Omar deliberately saw the issue through prism of politics to add political overtures and "give an impression that Jammu people have adopted a single approach against a particular religion but BJP is not against any religion". "The provisions, which should have been there in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Act 1999 were deliberately not included. And, who was at the helm of affairs at that time, is known to all," he said. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was the CM from October 9, 1996 to October 18, 2002. Another spokesperson, advocate Ankur Sharma said that the chief minister was politicising the issue. "Being run on the donations of the Hindu devotees, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University has a religious character and to maintain it, admissions should be given to those having faith in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi," Sharma said. "The amendment can be done through legislative assembly only," he added. "Do CM Omar Abdullah, NC, PDP and Congress respect and honour religious sentiments of minority Hindus in J&K? If yes, then amend the law and incorporate this provision," he added. "Being CM, Omar should strike a balance instead of being sarcastic. It doesn't behove of a CM. His sarcastic statements have hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus," he said. He reminded the chief minister that minority institutions for Muslims, Christians, Jains and Buddhists, which are notified minorities, have kept 50% reservation for their respective communities under constitutional provision. However, in Muslim majority J&K, Hindu community is not a notified minority community. According to the 2011 census, Jammu and Kashmir's religion-wise population was approximately 68.3% Muslim, 28.4% Hindu, 1.9% Sikh, 0.9% Buddhist, and 0.3% Christian....