Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized protests against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, stating students earned their seats on merit. He suggested closing the institute and relocating students to other government medical colleges due to the "prevailing atmosphere" and political interference. The protests, led by a BJP-supported group, followed the admission of a batch with a majority of Muslim students. The National Medical Commission had withdrawn permission for the college.