Jadavpur University campus vandalized during student group clashes

Jadavpur University experienced a night of vandalism and violence on August 20 following a confrontation between student groups. The unrest began late on August 19 during a heated altercation between members of the Akhil Bharaitya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), alongside other student organizations.

An armed mob, reportedly using sticks and rods, entered the campus around midnight. The attackers targeted various student organizations by tearing down and setting fire to their placards, flags, and festoons. The mob also surrounded Aurobindo Bhavan, the university’s administrative building, trapping students inside.

The incident followed a dispute regarding a general body meeting held by the DSF-run Faculty of Engineering & Technology Students’ Union (FETSU). ABVP and the Nationalist Students’ Front (NSF) opposed the meeting, citing a Calcutta High Court ruling regarding student union activities. CCTV footage and videos recorded by students and journalists have been used to identify individuals involved in the unrest.