New Delhi, February 23, 2026 — Violence erupted late Monday night at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as student groups clashed in what has been termed a “night of terror.” The confrontation took place amid protests over faculty remarks and recent policy changes, with conflicting accounts of who initiated the violence.
The protests were called by the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU), which organized an ‘Equality March’ demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. The students accused her of making “casteist” remarks in a recent podcast and objected to her comments on UGC regulations, Dalit issues, and affirmative action. They also sought the revocation of rustication orders against four student leaders accused of vandalism during previous protests.
Protesters alleged that the administration did not engage with the march and instead permitted members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing affiliated with the BJP, to confront them. The ABVP denied the allegations, asserting that Left-backed organizations provoked violence and spread misinformation.
Left student organizations, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), claimed that ABVP members threw stones at the encampment and assaulted unarmed students, leaving several injured. The clashes centered around the implementation of new UGC guidelines, introduced in January, which aim to address caste-based discrimination but have faced criticism from general category students fearing discrimination.
The university condemned the violence, stating that classes and activities continued as usual. In a statement, JNU officials said, “Several academic buildings were reportedly locked by protesting students, who entered the central library and threatened other students, leading to a scuffle between groups.” The university further condemned the “unruly behavior” and vowed to take strict action to restore order.
The ABVP claimed students were studying peacefully when they were attacked. Pravin Kumar Piyush, ABVP Secretary at JNU, alleged that around 400-500 masked individuals, armed with hockey sticks, rods, batons, knives, and stones, forcibly entered the campus after a march from Sabarmati T-Point to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence. He accused these individuals of pushing students out of study areas and injuring a student inside the School of Social Sciences.
The injured student, Prateek Bhardwaj, a Biotechnology student, was reportedly assaulted with fire extinguisher powder and beaten severely, according to ABVP sources.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with calls for immediate arrests and action against those involved. Social media campaigns, including the hashtag #LeftAttacksJNUAgain, have been launched by ABVP members, criticizing what they describe as inaction by police and branding the violence as an orchestrated attack on campus stability.
As tensions remain high, authorities are under pressure to restore calm and address the concerns raised by all parties involved.
