Armed with sticks and batons, supporters of ABVP stormed inside the JU campus, tore posters of the Left-backed students, and set them on fire. Credit: X/@cpimspeak post screengrab
Jadavpur University remained on the boil since Wednesday evening (August 19, 2026) after clashes erupted between supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed student unions, including the Students Federation of India (SFI).
On Wednesday night (August 19, 2026), ABVP supporters armed with lathis and sticks stormed inside the university campus and tore and set on fire posters of the Left student’s unions, alleging that their supporters were assaulted by members of the Left student’s unions. On Thursday (August 20, 2026), supporters of both the groups brought out rallies inside and outside the university campus and the police had put up barricades to prevent rival factions from clashing with each other.
Tension prevailed around the university campus since Thursday morning (August 20, 2026), with supporters of the right and left students’ unions gathering in large numbers. At around 2 pm, a group of ABVP workers tried to enter the campus from gate number 4 when another group of students from SFI locked the gate and tried to resist them.
The ABVP supporters climbed the entrance gate and started throwing bottles, eggs, sticks, and stones, escalating the situation. Slogans were shouted and flags were raised by both sides. A student from the University’s Bengali department sustained injuries when he tried to exit the university gate number 4.
The ABVP supporters also vandalised, an emblem of the university installed at the gate in an attempt to break the lock and enter the premises. After the situation eased out, supporters of Left students unions like SFI and Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU) gathered near at the administrative building Aurobindo Bhaban and sought an audience with the Vice Chancellor.
Jadavpur University is one of the last bastions of Left politics in West Bengal and the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies are trying to make an inroad there particularly after the BJP came to power in the State in May 2026.
The dispute between the two groups started on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) over a ‘general body’ meeting. The ABVP supporters claimed that the Left-wing supporters cannot call such a meeting, as no student union exists at the university. No student elections have been held for the past few years in educational institutions of West Bengal.
The student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also claimed that their supporters were manhandled. Several students, including ABVP’s Jadavpur University Unit President Nikhil Das, were injured and later taken to KPC Hospital, Jadavpur, for treatment on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), following which ABVP supporters stormed inside the university.
BJP MLA from Jadavpur Sarbari Mukherjee said that she will not allow “naxals, moaists and anti-national forces to perpetuate in the university”. The MLA blamed SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya and his supporters for the ruckus. Mr. Bhattacharya, however, said that the BJP MLA was blaming the violence on students after orchestrating it.
CPI(M) State secretary Md. Salim tried to associate the violence with ther remark made by Prime Minister calling a section of people “dimagi naxal”. “A war has been declared on the students, teachers and others who are in support of education. Attempts were made to start a fire at Aurobindo Bhawan so that bhoy (fear) could be instilled among the people,” Mr. Salim said.
A police complaint, filed by student Aritra Sarkar late at night, invokes sections 191(2), 190, 117(2), 109, 197(1)(d), and 353(1) of the IPC, read with Section 3(1)(r)(s) of the SC/ST Act, against 11 accused persons. No complaint has yet been received from the other side (Left student unions) regarding this incident, the police said in a statement on Thursday (August 20, 2026).
Calling the violence unfortunate, Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Chiranjeev Bhattacharya said that if required, there will be a round-the-clock police posting inside the campus. While maintaining that the university is not outside the ambit of law, Mr. Bhattacharya said that an inquiry will be initiated to ascertain who started the violence.
Published – August 20, 2026 12:50 pm IST
