Violence erupts in JNU during protest; Left groups, ABVP trade charges

The JNUSU alleged stone pelting on protesters, while the ABVP accused Left groups of attacking its members and targeting students across campus. Both sides demanded police action as authorities were yet to issue a detailed statement.

Clashes erupted inside Jawaharlal Nehru University in the early hours of Monday after protests by Left-affiliated student groups escalated into violence, with rival student organisations accusing each other of assaults and intimidation and several students reportedly sustaining injuries.

The confrontation followed nearly a week-long strike led by Left student organisations protesting against remarks attributed to the university’s vice chancellor. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) alleged that protesting students were attacked during a demonstration held inside the campus.

According to JNUSU, Left student groups had organised a protest against the vice chancellor’s statement when tensions escalated and stones were allegedly pelted at demonstrators. Student leaders claimed that several protesters were injured in the incident.

Left-wing organisations accused members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of carrying out the attack, alleging that the violence disrupted what they described as a peaceful protest inside the campus.

The claims regarding injuries and the sequence of events could not be independently verified.

Rejecting the allegations, ABVP accused Left-affiliated groups of unleashing violence across the campus during the night. In posts on X, the organisation alleged that biotechnology student Prateek Bhardwaj was attacked inside the School of Social Sciences premises after being sprayed with fire extinguisher powder and beaten.