Jadavpur University students clash during union meeting

Violence erupted at Jadavpur University in Kolkata during the night of August 19-20 following a general body meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU). The confrontation involved members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and left-leaning student groups, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Students’ Organisation (DSO).

Reports indicate that the clash involved stone-pelting, vandalism, and fires being set on campus. Several students from both factions sustained injuries and were hospitalized at KPC Medical College and Hospital. The university’s administrative building, Aurobindo Bhavan, was locked as tensions escalated.

Both sides have traded accusations of bringing outsiders onto the campus to instigate violence. The ABVP alleged that left-wing groups orchestrated a planned attack under the guise of the FETSU meeting, while left-leaning organizations accused the ABVP of attempting to seize control of campus spaces and engaging in vandalism.

University officials, including Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya, have promised an inquiry into the incident. Police have entered the campus to restore order and remove outsiders, and both student groups have lodged FIRs at the local police station.