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Chaos at JNU After Midnight: Equality March Sparks Violent Campus Showdown

An Equality March demanding the VC’s resignation turns chaotic as ABVP and Left-backed groups trade allegations, leaving the campus shaken overnight.

By : EduAdvice 2026-02-23 06:14:44

New Delhi : A tense protest at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) spiralled into a night of violence on Monday, leaving the campus on edge as rival student groups traded serious allegations of assault, intimidation, and administrative failure.

The flashpoint was an “Equality March” organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), which marched towards the Vice-Chancellor’s residence demanding the resignation of VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. The protest stemmed from her recent podcast remarks that students alleged were insensitive and discriminatory, particularly on issues related to caste, Dalits, affirmative action, and higher education policy.

Protest Turns Violent

According to multiple student accounts, the march lost control late in the night as opposing groups came face-to-face across academic and residential zones. Protesters accused the university administration of refusing dialogue and allowing members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to confront the rally.

Left-leaning student organisations, including the All India Students' Association (AISA), alleged that ABVP members attacked the protest site, hurled stones, and targeted students who were unarmed, resulting in multiple injuries.

ABVP’s Counter Version

The ABVP categorically denied the allegations and presented a starkly different version of events. In statements issued overnight, the organisation claimed that Left-affiliated groups unleashed violence inside school buildings where students were studying, forcing many to barricade themselves inside rooms for safety.

“This was not protest politics but deliberate intimidation. Ordinary students were trapped and attacked while preparing for exams,” the ABVP said, accusing rival groups of spreading false narratives.

ABVP leaders further alleged that hundreds of masked individuals armed with sticks, rods, and stones moved across the campus after the march, entering reading rooms and academic blocks. One student was reportedly left critically injured after being attacked inside the School of Social Sciences.

UGC Rules Add Fuel to Fire

Apart from the VC’s remarks, anger on campus has been building over new regulations issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on January 13. While the guidelines aim to curb caste-based discrimination through mandatory committees and helplines for SC, ST, and OBC students, sections of the student community argue that the framework may unfairly target general category students, deepening divisions on campus.

“Night of Terror” Claims

Describing the situation as a “night of terror,” ABVP-affiliated JNUSU Joint Secretary Vaibhav Meena claimed that masked groups roamed freely for hours, creating panic across hostels and academic areas. The organisation accused the Delhi Police of failing to intervene in time despite repeated distress calls.

Campus on Edge

The violence has triggered sharp reactions across student bodies and political circles, with growing demands for arrests, an independent probe, and accountability from both the university administration and law enforcement agencies.

As JNU wakes up to shattered calm and competing claims, the incident once again underlines how ideological polarisation and unresolved policy disputes are turning campuses into conflict zones—raising urgent questions about student safety, governance, and the future of dissent in higher education.

 

 

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