New Delhi: Chaos descended upon Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) around midnight on Sunday as a violent confrontation broke out between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-wing student organisations, leaving several injured and the campus in a state of shock.
Allegations of stone-pelting at protest site
The conflict centred around a protest site where students had gathered following a call by the JNU Students’ Union. Left-wing groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Students’ Association (AISA), have levelled serious accusations against the ABVP, alleging that their members resorted to stone-pelting to disrupt the assembly.
According to SFI, the stones were aimed at a large group of students who had mobilised for an “Equality March.” The march was organised to demand the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation over alleged anti-Dalit and casteist remarks, as well as to seek the revocation of an expulsion order against union members.
A campus under siege
The violence reportedly reached its peak between 1:00 AM and 1:30 AM on Sunday night. Left-affiliated groups claim that multiple students sustained injuries during the barrage of stones and subsequent physical scuffles. They described the incident as a direct attack on their right to peaceful protest and academic dissent.
ABVP claims ‘orchestrated’ attack on library students
In a sharp counter-narrative, the ABVP denied the allegations of unprovoked aggression and instead accused Left-wing students of launching a “brutal” and “targeted” assault on neutral students.
The ABVP claims that Left-affiliated activists targeted individuals who were “studying peacefully” in various school areas and libraries. According to their statement, several students were surrounded and harassed, with some reportedly forced to lock themselves inside rooms to escape the violence.
In a post on X, the ABVP described the events as “cowardly” and “orchestrated,” stating: “Students have been severely injured after a shocking attack by Left-affiliated groups… This is not politics. This is targeted violence against students who came here to study.”
Demands for justice
As the dust settles on the midnight skirmish, the ABVP has called for immediate intervention by the Delhi Police, demanding the arrest of “ideological goons” and strict disciplinary action. Meanwhile, Left-wing organizations continue to highlight the stone-throwing incident as a primary cause of the injuries and have vowed to continue their agitation against the university administration.
The university administration has yet to release an official statement regarding the specific details of the injuries or the disciplinary measures to be taken following the late-night violence.