A violent clash erupted on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus early Thursday morning, leaving several students injured and deepening rifts ahead of the university's student union elections. The altercation unfolded during a general body meeting (GBM) at the School of Social Sciences (SSS), pitting members of the left-leaning All India Students' Association (AISA) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). As the first GBMs of the semester progressed amid heightened election fervour, both groups traded accusations of provocation and hooliganism, with police intervention preventing further escalation. The Jawaharlal Nehru Students' Union (JNUSU), where AISA holds three of four central panel positions and ABVP one, has long been a battleground for ideological clashes, but this incident highlights escalating tensions over perceived regional biases and democratic disruptions in one of India's premier institutions.

According to AISA, the violence stemmed from ABVP's orchestrated disruption of the GBM, where counsellors were presenting annual work reports. The group alleged that ABVP workers heckled participants, snatched a counsellor's phone, and resorted to physical assaults when questioned. "They grabbed a woman student by her throat and beat several others, resulting in serious injuries," an AISA statement claimed, asserting that JNUSU President Nitish Kumar—an AISA leader—was gheraoed and attacked for over an hour. AISA framed the assault as a desperate bid by ABVP to sabotage the electoral process, driven by fears of electoral defeat. "Their defeat is guaranteed in this election. This is the reason they are resorting to violence," the statement added, vowing to pursue legal recourse while demanding university action against the perpetrators. Eyewitness accounts described chaotic scenes, with students rushing to aid the injured and campus security struggling to restore order around 2 a.m.

In stark contrast, ABVP vehemently denied the allegations, pinning the blame on a provocative remark by a left-wing counsellor that allegedly targeted students from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. "People from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and students of ABVP, do not deserve to be in JNU—they should be thrown out of the campus," the counsellor purportedly said, according to an ABVP release, branding it a "highly objectionable" and "insensitive" comment amid JNU's diverse student body, where over 20% hail from these states. ABVP Joint Secretary Vaibhav Meena accused Kumar of instigating the violence when protests erupted, claiming left-wing students first attacked a female participant, creating pandemonium. "As soon as students protested, left-wing students attacked... ripping their own clothes to portray themselves as victims," ABVP alleged, further criticising Kumar for failing to condemn the remark, adjourning the meeting "authoritarianly", and summoning reinforcements to assault protesters. The group demanded an apology and investigation, portraying the incident as a left-orchestrated assault on inclusivity.

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JNU's history of student activism, from the 2016 sedition row to fee hike protests, often amplifies such skirmishes into national debates on free speech and campus politics. With elections slated for late October, the clash risks polarising voters in a union where turnout hovers around 60%. University administration, led by Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, has yet to issue an official statement, but sources indicate an internal probe is underway alongside Delhi Police's preliminary inquiry. As injured students received treatment at Safdarjung Hospital—reporting bruises and minor fractures—the episode underscores broader anxieties over regional fault lines in elite academia, where merit-based admissions coexist with identity-driven narratives. Stakeholders urge dialogue to safeguard JNU's ethos, but with GBMs continuing across schools, the campus remains on edge.

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