Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) witnessed tense clashes on Thursday evening as student groups aligned with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-affiliated organisations came face-to-face during Dussehra celebrations on campus.
The confrontation broke out after ABVP staged a symbolic “Ravan Dahan” in which effigies of individuals including Afzal Guru, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, G Sai Baba, and Charu Majumdar were burnt, portraying them as “Naxal-like forces.”
According to ABVP leaders, the programme was part of their Vijayadashami observance and was followed by a Durga Puja idol immersion procession. ABVP alleged that members of AISA, SFI, DSF, and other Left groups “violently attacked” the procession with stone-pelting, leaving several students injured.
“This is a direct assault on the cultural harmony and brotherhood of the university,” said Vaibhav Meena, JNU Students’ Union joint secretary and ABVP representative on the panel. He insisted that their action was aimed at “exposing forces with extremist ideologies.”
However, Left student groups strongly denied the allegations, accusing ABVP of communalising the campus atmosphere. In a statement, AISA termed the burning of effigies of Muslim activists as a “blatant and dangerous display of Islamophobia”, accusing ABVP of exploiting religious sentiments for political propaganda.
“Why did they not choose Nathuram Godse or Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh? This was clearly an attempt to provoke and divide students,” the statement read.
JNUSU president Nitish Kumar, affiliated with AISA, alleged that ABVP members raised provocative slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bulldozer Justice” before the confrontation escalated. “We even formed a human chain to prevent violence, but ABVP deliberately tried to stoke tensions,” he told Hindustan Times.
The situation quickly turned chaotic, with both sides accusing each other of instigating violence. Videos from the incident show heated sloganeering and a scuffle near the Sabarmati dhaba area, a frequent flashpoint on campus.
The JNU administration has yet to release an official statement on the incident. No confirmation has been provided on the number of injuries or whether any disciplinary action will be initiated against the student groups involved.
The clash highlights the deep ideological fault lines at JNU, where ABVP and Left groups have repeatedly confronted each other over issues of nationalism, religion, and campus politics.
