Clashes erupt at JNU after Hindutva activists attack students protesting VC remarks
New Delhi: Clashes broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday as tensions escalated between Left-affiliated student groups and the BJP-student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
According to Kashmir Media Service, the confrontation followed a week-long strike by Left student organisations protesting remarks attributed to the university’s Vice Chancellor, which were derogatory towards Black and Dalit students. The protesting groups said the remarks were provocative and dismissive of student concerns, prompting demonstrations and a campus-wide shutdown campaign.
Eyewitnesses reported that tensions escalated when members of rival student organisations gathered near an administrative block where protests were underway. Verbal altercations quickly turned into physical scuffles, leaving several students injured. Ambulances entered the campus to provide medical attention to the wounded.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) said that protesting students were attacked inside the campus and accused ABVP activists of deliberately disrupting a peaceful agitation. Representatives of JNUSU described the violence as an attempt to silence dissent and intimidate those raising questions over administrative decisions.
The incident has intensified tensions within the university, long regarded as a hub of political activism and ideological contestation. Students and faculty members expressed concern over the deteriorating atmosphere on campus and called for restraint from all parties.
Observers note that recurring confrontations between rival student groups at JNU reflect a growing ideological polarisation in Indian academic spaces. They warned that continued unrest could further undermine the university’s democratic and academic environment.
