What Sparked Violence at JNU? Clash Over Religious Event Turns Bloody

Violent clashes broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday evening, pitting the right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) against Left-backed student groups in a dispute over a Durga idol immersion procession and a provocative Ravan Dahan event. The confrontation, which left several students injured, centered on accusations of politicizing religious rituals, with effigies of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam portrayed as the demon king Ravana.

The incident unfolded amid heightened tensions during Dussehra celebrations, a festival symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, but one that has increasingly become a flashpoint for ideological battles on India's university campuses.

According to the ABVP, the violence erupted around 7 p.m. near the Sabarmati T-Point, a central hub on campus known for past protests. ABVP members claimed that activists from the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), and Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF)—all affiliated with Left-leaning ideologies—disrupted their procession by pelting stones, using sticks, and hurling verbal abuses at participants, including women carrying the idol. Videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes of scuffles, with students shoving each other and security personnel intervening.

ABVP condemned the attack as an assault on Hindu traditions, alleging that the Left groups aimed to "suppress religious expression" in the name of secularism. Reports indicate that at least five ABVP members, including two women, suffered minor injuries such as bruises and cuts, and were treated at the campus health center.

Left-backed groups countered with their own narrative, accusing the ABVP of orchestrating the Ravan Dahan to malign student activists and stoke communal divisions. The effigies, erected near the administration block, depicted Khalid and Imam—both arrested under anti-terror laws in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots—as Ravana, complete with placards reading "Suppressing Dissent is Adharma." Khalid, a former JNU scholar, and Imam, known for his inflammatory speeches, have become symbols of resistance against what their supporters call "fascist crackdowns."

AISA issued a statement labeling the ABVP's actions as "saffronization of campus spaces," claiming the procession was a pretext to intimidate progressive voices. DSF and SFI members alleged that ABVP affiliates initiated the violence by chanting provocative slogans, leading to retaliatory stone-throwing. Campus sources reported three Left activists also injured, with the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) calling for an impartial inquiry.

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JNU, long a bastion of student activism since its founding in 1969, has witnessed recurring clashes between ABVP—backed by the RSS—and Left outfits over issues from fee hikes to sedition cases. The 2016 "Kanhaiya Kumar" sedition row and 2020 citizenship protests amplified these divides, often spilling into physical confrontations during festivals. This year's episode coincides with ongoing judicial scrutiny of Khalid's bail pleas and Imam's trial, keeping their cases in the national spotlight.

University administration has urged restraint, deploying additional security and postponing remaining events, while Delhi Police remains on alert. As the academic session resumes post-festivities, stakeholders fear further polarization, with alumni like historian Romila Thapar decrying the "erosion of dialogue" on campuses. The injured students' recovery is stable, but the ideological scars may linger longer.

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