Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was once again engulfed in violence during the early hours of Monday (February 23), as clashes broke out between left-wing student organisations and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Several students were seriously injured in an alleged stone pelting as both the Left and Right accused each other of unleashing violence during a protest march.

Left-backed groups, including All India Students' Association (AISA), called the violence - a “massive attack” on student movement, claiming that ABVP activists pelted stones at the JNUSU encampment and attacked "unarmed students," leaving several injured. Meanwhile, ABVP described the night as a "night of terror". ABVP’s JNUSU joint secretary Vaibhav Meena alleged that a crowd of 300 to 400 'masked' people roamed the campus targeting students who were quietly studying in the library and reading rooms.

According to the statement, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) had called for a "Samta Juloos" from Sabarmati Dhaba to East Gate at 9 PM on Sunday against JNU VC’s ‘casteist’ podcast remarks. They had demanded the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, and revocation of JNUSU rustication/fines and class boycott.

Protesters alleged the administration did not engage with the march and instead allowed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members to confront them.

However, ABVP rejected the allegations and accused Left-backed organisations of provoking clashes and spreading misinformation about the incident.

Left-backed groups, including All India Students' Association (AISA), called the violence - a “massive attack” on student movement. They further claimed that ABVP activists pelted stones at the JNUSU encampment and attacked "unarmed students," leaving several injured.

ABVP claims post the march, around 12 AM, leftist protestors masked and holding sticks tried to forcefully lockdown different schools on campus. Students hid in washroom and lifts.

Meena claimed that a student named Vijay was mobbed by a group of 100 to 150 people in what he described as a mob-lynching attempt. ABVP also claimed that iron rods, knives, stones, and sticks were allegedly used in late night violence.

The most disturbing incident occurred in the School of Social Sciences (SSS) area. ABVP alleged that biotechnology student Pratik Bhardwaj was ambushed. The attackers allegedly threw fire extinguisher powder into Pratik’s eyes to blind him before beating him brutally. Pratik was admitted to hospital in serious condition, and his situation remains critical.

Following the incident, ABVP launched a campaign on social media with the hashtag #LeftAttacksJNUAgain. The organisation said this was not student politics but "calculated cruelty". ABVP criticised Delhi Police for inaction and said students in a central university in the national capital are not safe. They demanded that the culprits be immediately arrested and law and order restored on campus.

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