JNU students clash with Delhi Police, union leaders detained

While Left-affiliated groups accused ABVP of “hooliganism”, ABVP members claimed they were targeted with “regional hatred” and physically assaulted

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | October 19, 2025 05:00 AM IST

2 min read

The unrest follows an incident early Thursday during a general body meeting at JNU's School of Social Sciences (File Photo)

Tensions at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), already simmering after a violent confrontation between student groups earlier this week, escalated on Saturday evening when a student march toward the Vasant Kunj North police station led to a clash with the Delhi Police, resulting in injuries and the detention of JNU Student Union (JNUSU) leaders.

The unrest follows an incident early Thursday during a general body meeting at JNU’s School of Social Sciences. Posters circulated by Left-affiliated groups had called for a “social march for social justice” to the Vasant Kunj police station, questioning why no FIR had been filed yet against ABVP members accused of attacking Left-affiliated students. Police said on Saturday that officers had “remained in continuous touch with the student leaders and ensured of proper legal action”, but that union representatives “refused to withdraw their call for a gherao of the police station”.

While Left-affiliated groups accused ABVP of “hooliganism”, ABVP members claimed they were targeted with “regional hatred” and physically assaulted.

The JNU administration has not yet issued a formal response to the incident, but student factions have since been mobilising on campus.

“Around 6 pm, approximately 70–80 students, including female students, gathered at the West Gate of JNU. Police barricades were placed to restrict their movement towards Nelson Mandela Marg. However, despite repeated requests, the students forcefully pushed through and broke the barricades, manhandled police personnel, used abusive language, and came onto Nelson Mandela Marg, leading to temporary obstruction of traffic,” the Delhi Police said in a statement.

“To prevent any untoward incident, 28 students (19 males and 9 females), including (JNUSU) president Nitesh Kumar, vice president Manisha, and general secretary Muntia Fatima were detained… six police personnel sustained injuries… Appropriate legal action is being initiated,” it added.

Left-affiliated groups, rallying under the hashtag #SOSJNU, accused the police of acting as “henchmen of RSS-BJP-ABVP” and claimed that those who had earlier filed complaints were themselves detained. “Delhi Police beats JNU students,” their statement read, alleging that ABVP members had used “casteist, Islamophobic and misogynistic abuses” against JNUSU leaders.

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