Jammu, Nov. 25 -- A political slugfest erupted in Jammu & Kashmir on Monday over the maiden batch of students at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Katra, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding the revocation of the admission list issued by the institute even as chief minister Omar Abdullah said that admissions were given on the basis of merit and not religion. The tussle comes days after the institute, funded by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), announced the first admission list featuring 42 Muslim students for its 50 MBBS seats. The list triggered controversy, with right-wing Hindu groups questioning the process and demanding the grant of "minority institution" status to the newly established institute. On Saturday, a BJP delegation led by leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of shrine board, to revoke the admission list. "The admission to 42 students of a particular community has triggered widespread anger among devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi and sections of the larger Hindu community," he hadsaid. "We urged the LG to review the admission criteria, enhance transparency, and appropriately factor in the sentiments of the Hindu community." CM Abdullah, on Monday, said that an "unnecessary controversy" was being created over the issue. Referring to the bill in the legislative assembly for establishing the Mata Vaishno Devi University, Abdullah told reporters, "Show me where it was written that boys and girls of a particular religion will not be given admissions." "At that time, it was said that admissions will be given on merit and not on the basis of religion. Now, when admissions are being given on merit, some people don't like it," he said. "Admissions can't be given without merit and here, they [the delegation] want to keep merit aside and want admissions to be done on the basis of religion. As far as I know, our Constitution doesn't allow this." J&K BJP chief and Rajya Sabha member Sat Sharma said the party's delegation, led by LoP Sharma, has "projected the sentiments of the devotees" to the LG. "We stand by what LoP has submitted to the LG and stated to the media," he said. Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said that public sentiment can't be ignored. "Act is there and we don't want to bring merit and religion into the issue but public sentiment has to be honoured. There is anger among the devotees because Mata Vaishno Devi is a deeply revered religious place. If students from other faiths having different food habits are allowed then it can lead to problems. Will CM Omar take responsibility then," he said. Sharma said, he also knew that the Act was there but he talked about a middle path to honour larger public sentiment. The LoP further said that the donations offered by the devotees at Vaishno Devi shrine should have been used for opening Gurukuls, Ayurveda research centres, study centres of Vedas and welfare of Sanatan Dharma and not a medical college. "There are sufficient medical colleges now. For 50 seats, the government could have increased five seats each in existing government medical colleges and the controversy wouldn't have arisen," he said....