Hindutva Students Storm Jadavpur University After Naxal Groups Clash with ABVP Supporters Over an Unauthorised GB Meeting.

Jadavpur University Tensions Escalate After Clash Between ABVP and Left Student Groups Over unauthorised FETSU General Body Meeting.

Sankirtan Das | HENB | Kolkata | Aug 20, 2026:: Tensions escalated at Jadavpur University in Kolkata late Wednesday night and continued into the early hours of Thursday after a confrontation between supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-leaning student organisations over a General Body (GB) meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU).

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show groups of students and others entering parts of the university campus during the night, amid allegations of assault, vandalism and damage to university property. However, competing accounts have emerged over how the confrontation began, with ABVP supporters and Left student organisations accusing each other of initiating the violence.

According to the account provided by members of the Revolutionary Students’ Front (RSF), a group of men allegedly entered the campus around midnight on motorcycles, assaulted students and damaged doors and rooms associated with student organisations and hostels. Indranuj Ray, a JU student and RSF member, alleged that students inside the hostel resisted attempts to enter the residential areas and that police personnel present nearby did not intervene effectively.

Ray also alleged that CCTV infrastructure was targeted and that attempts were made to destroy or remove footage of the incident. These allegations could not be independently verified.

Dispute over FETSU General Body Meeting

At the centre of the dispute was a General Body meeting associated with FETSU. According to the version supplied by ABVP supporters, a meeting was convened by a limited group of students with the stated purpose of selecting or appointing a General Secretary of the union.

ABVP supporters alleged that Left student organisations, including the Democratic Students’ Front (DSF) and Progressive Democratic Students’ Federation (PDSF), attempted to prevent ABVP representatives from participating in the meeting. They further alleged that when ABVP students questioned the proceedings, members of the opposing groups assaulted them.

The ABVP side claimed that at least three of its students suffered serious injuries and were taken to KPC Medical College for treatment. These claims, including the precise number and severity of injuries, require independent confirmation.

The Left student groups, meanwhile, have presented a sharply different account. They alleged that ABVP supporters brought people from outside the university onto the campus and subsequently attacked students who were participating in the meeting.

Rival allegations of a planned attack

The confrontation has exposed the deep political divide between student organisations at Jadavpur University, where Left-oriented groups have historically had a strong presence while ABVP has sought to expand its influence.

ABVP supporters accused Left organisations such as DSF and other groups of attempting to conduct an unauthorised or improperly constituted meeting and of provoking violence when their objections were raised.

Members of the Left student organisations, however, alleged that the subsequent entry of ABVP supporters and outsiders into the campus amounted to an organised attack intended to intimidate students and disrupt their activities.

Social-media posts and eyewitness accounts circulating on Thursday contained conflicting descriptions of the sequence of events. Some accounts alleged that students were assaulted outside the campus before the confrontation moved inside the university, while others claimed that the violence began during the FETSU meeting itself.

Campus security under scrutiny

The episode has also raised questions about the role of the university administration and police in preventing the escalation.

Students from opposing camps alleged that university authorities were informed about the dispute but failed to take timely action. There were also allegations that police personnel remained present without intervening decisively.

These claims have not yet been independently established, and an official account from the university administration and police would be necessary to determine what measures were taken during the incident.

Jadavpur University has previously witnessed serious confrontations between rival student groups. The university’s official website maintains a dedicated section on student-union elections and related regulations, reflecting the long-running institutional framework governing student representation.

ABVP announces protest

Following the overnight confrontation, ABVP announced a protest at 11 a.m. on Thursday, demanding action over the alleged assault on its members and the violence surrounding the FETSU meeting.

The latest confrontation comes amid an increasingly visible political contest on the Jadavpur University campus. In recent months, ABVP and other right-leaning groups have publicly raised concerns about vandalism, campus security and the alleged influence of radical Left organisations. In May, the university’s ABVP unit had also approached the vice-chancellor seeking measures against graffiti and vandalism and calling for stronger CCTV surveillance.

At the same time, Left student organisations have accused the ABVP and associated groups of attempting to alter the political character of the campus through intimidation and the entry of outsiders.

A larger political battle on campus

The overnight violence therefore appears to be more than a dispute over a single student meeting. It reflects a broader struggle between rival political currents seeking influence over student organisations and campus affairs at one of West Bengal’s most politically prominent universities.

The competing allegations make it particularly important for the university authorities and police to establish a verified chronology of events, identify those responsible for assaults or property damage, and examine available CCTV footage and other evidence.

Any action against students or outsiders should be based on evidence rather than political affiliation. The immediate priority remains restoring security on campus, ensuring the safety of students and staff, and preventing further clashes between rival student groups.

Note: Several allegations in this report—including claims of outside participation, assault, destruction of CCTV footage, the number and severity of injuries, and the alleged unauthorised nature of the GB meeting—are based on competing accounts and have not been independently verified. The incident remains subject to further investigation and official clarification.

ABVP Reacts: NSF Expresses Solidarity with ABVP Students

Reacting to the violence at Jadavpur University, Somsurya Banerjee of the National Students’ Front (NSF) strongly condemned what he described as an assault by members of the Democratic Students’ Front (DSF) on ABVP student activists during a General Body meeting. Banerjee alleged that the meeting had been declared unauthorised by the university administration and accused DSF members of using physical violence and intimidation against ABVP representatives. According to him, NSF activists immediately contacted the police and, along with Papan Mondal and other students, intervened at the scene to help rescue ABVP members from the confrontation. Banerjee said NSF stands in “complete solidarity” with the ABVP’s Jadavpur University unit and called for immediate and stringent action by the university administration and law-enforcement authorities against those responsible. He stressed that violence and intimidation should have no place in an academic institution and urged the authorities to ensure campus safety and prevent further escalation.

watch: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1611958130520118

According to reports, local BJP MLA Sarbori Mukherjee visited KPC Medical Research and Hospital to meet the 6 injured ABVP students admitted there.
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_Inputs from Biswayan Bhandari and News18 Bangla.