Tensions flared on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Thursday after members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that Left-affiliated student groups attacked a Durga idol immersion procession. Left organisations, however, denied the charges and accused the ABVP of exploiting religion for political propaganda.
The incident reportedly took place near the Sabarmati T-Point around 7 p.m. The JNU administration has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
ABVP Alleges Stone-Pelting, Injuries
In a statement, the ABVP claimed that groups including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) “violently attacked” the immersion procession, pelting stones and abusing participants.
ABVP JNU president Mayank Panchal said the incident was “not just an attack on a religious event, but a direct attack on the university’s festive tradition and the faith of the students.” He vowed that the organisation would not tolerate such “cultural aggression.”
ABVP JNU minister Praveen Piyush alleged that even female students were targeted. “Stone-pelting and attacking female students during a sacred ritual like Durga Visarjan is condemnable and shameful,” he said, demanding strict action from the administration.
JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) joint secretary Vaibhav Meena also condemned the clash, calling it “a direct assault on the cultural harmony and brotherhood of the university.”
#WATCH | Delhi: A brawl broke out between two groups of students on JNU campus today, during #Dussehra ‘Visarjan Shobha Yatra’
Visuals from outside JNU. pic.twitter.com/mvBMS6QKrZ
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2025
Left Groups Deny Charges
Left-affiliated organisations, however, rejected the ABVP’s allegations. The AISA accused the ABVP of “using religion for political propaganda” through its Ravan Dahan programme.
In a statement, AISA said the ABVP had depicted former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam — both under trial in cases linked to the anti-CAA protests and the Delhi riots conspiracy — as Ravan.
“This is a blatant and dastardly display of Islamophobia, exploiting religious sentiments to harvest political benefits,” AISA said. The group questioned why the ABVP had not chosen figures such as Nathuram Godse, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh or leaders accused of inflammatory speeches during the 2020 Delhi riots.
“JNU rejects the politics of hate and Islamophobia,” the statement added, urging students to oppose what it described as “the divisive politics of RSS-ABVP.”
Campus on Edge
Both sides have accused each other of attempting to “destabilise the campus” and “distort its cultural environment,” leaving JNU once again at the centre of a heated ideological and political confrontation.
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