Late-night, violent clashes broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a protest march over alleged casteist remarks by the vice-chancellor. This escalated into stone-pelting and skirmishes between rival student groups.

Both the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-aligned unions traded charges over who initiated the violence, leaving multiple students injured and the campus tense.

Protest Over Vice-Chancellor Remarks Spirals Into Night of Violence

Late night, hundreds of students gathered at JNU to participate in a “Samta Juloos” (Equality March) organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and allied Left-affiliated groups. The demonstration was aimed at demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, whom organisers accused of making casteist comments in a recent public interview.

According to multiple students present, the protest began peacefully but tensions rose around 1:30 am as the march approached East Gate of the campus. Videos circulating on social media show crowds shouting and scuffles breaking out between protesters and members of opposing groups.

Both sides have blamed each other for initiating the violence. Left-affiliated student bodies, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), claimed ABVP members began stone-pelting and attacking “unarmed students”, forcing many to seek shelter.

In contrast, the ABVP alleged that a large group of masked individuals numbering in the hundreds moved through campus with sticks, rods and stones, beating students indiscriminately after nightfall. The ABVP said some students were fortunately able to lock themselves in campus buildings for safety.

Student Injuries, Campus Tension and Police Response

Eyewitnesses and student leaders on both sides reported that multiple students were injured during the clashes. Some were later seen with cuts and bruises, while others were reportedly taken for medical checks and documentation at nearby hospitals.

Though some reports suggest that no formal complaint has yet been filed with police, Delhi Police teams were called to the campus and spent the early hours of Tuesday attempting to restore calm and prevent further escalation. Authorities have said they intend to review CCTV footage and gather statements from both sides as part of a preliminary probe.

University authorities have so far remained largely silent on the incident. A representative from JNU’s administration told The Logical Indian that the matter is under review and that safety of all students is a priority, but declined to offer further details until an inquiry is complete.

Some students expressed frustration at what they described as a slow response by security personnel, with videos and eyewitness claims suggesting a chaotic atmosphere in parts of the campus for over an hour before significant outside intervention.

What Sparked the Clash: Context and Campus Divide

The violence at JNU did not occur in isolation. The protest march grew out of broader resentment among sections of the student community over comments that Vice-Chancellor Dhulipudi Pandit made in a podcast interview last week, which critics alleged were casteist and dismissive of the lived experiences of marginalised students. Opponents have demanded her resignation, asserting that university leadership must be accountable to all students.

Alongside this, protesters were also demanding the revocation of rustication orders issued to several student leaders, which they argue were punitive and unfair.

Meanwhile, ABVP has asserted that some protests have at times violated campus norms and that the university’s handling of certain events has been inconsistent, leading to confusion and frustration among students from different ideological camps.

Long-standing ideological differences between ABVP and Left-aligned student unions have frequently surfaced at JNU over issues ranging from campus policies to national politics. Critics say that such differences have increasingly spilled over into antagonism that sometimes goes beyond debate and disrupts campus harmony.

Officials, Voices, and Reactions from the Ground

Although official responses from authorities have been measured, student leaders on both sides have been vocal.

ABVP leaders condemned what they described as a “night of terror”, alleging that masked individuals attacked peaceful students with sticks and stones and that they were left vulnerable for too long. The group used social media to demand action against those they identified as perpetrators.

Left-aligned groups and JNUSU representatives, on the other hand, accused the ABVP of orchestrating the clash by confronting the protest march and diverting it from its stated aims, effectively turning what was intended as peaceful dissent into violent confrontation.

In statements relayed to media, a JNUSU official said that Left groups had called for a “peaceful march”, but were met with aggression that jeopardised student safety. They urged authorities to act swiftly to prevent further escalation.

Police have reiterated that they are investigating the sequence of events and that preliminary checks, including reviewing video footage and speaking with students from both sides, are underway.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

The scenes of late-night violence at JNU are troubling not because of who is involved, but because universities are meant to be spaces for learning, dissent, dialogue and critical engagement not battlegrounds. Debate and protest are essential to a vibrant academic life, but when disagreements become violent, the very foundations of open discourse are eroded.

At a time when young people are rightly grappling with issues of caste, governance, identity and representation, it is imperative that differences are resolved through dialogue, empathy and institutional frameworks, not through clashes that leave students injured and campuses divided.

We call on student leaders from all ideological spectrums, university officials, and law enforcement to prioritise peaceful avenues of expression, institutional accountability, and a clear commitment to student safety. Constructive engagement, not confrontation, should be the norm on campuses that educate future leaders.