8 hurt as ABVP, Left students fight in Jadavpur University campus

All hell broke loose in and around the elite Jadavpur University (JU) campus following clashes between the supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left students’ wings including the CPI(M) students’ arm Students Federation of India.

The clashes that started during the midnight intervening Wednesday and Thursday and continued intermittently on Thursday left several supporters of both sides injured, police said. None had so far been arrested.

According to sources the ruckus started when alleged ABVP supporters entered the JU campus to protest against an ongoing meeting of — a defunct — Students’ Governing Body asking how the Left wing students’ unions could call a GB meeting when there was no elected students’ union in any educational institution of the State.

Flags were set on fire and some University properties including an emblem — crafted by renowned artist of the yesteryear Nandalal Bose — fixed on the main gate was pulled down and damaged even as supporters from both sides of the main gate indulged in sloganeering.

Bottles and egg-hurling — which become a leitmotif of recent politics in the State — was resorted too even as the police had a trying time to manage rival groups locking horns ferociously. 
As Wednesday night’s violence spilled onto streets on Thursday with the rival groups engaging in a show of strength taking out rallies and counter rallies, local BJP MLA Sarbori Mukherjee demanded immediate arrest of the “Maoists and Leninists.”

About eight students had to be admitted to the nearby KPC medical college and hospital, sources said adding both the sides were demanding arrest of the members of the rival camps. 

When contacted Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya denied any BJP hand in the conflict saying, “ABVP is not a students’ organization of the BJP unlike the SFI or DSO which are controlled by the CPI(M) and SUCI… so the BJP will not take any responsibility of whatever happened.”

“The ABVP brought goons from outsider and tried to set JU afire last night… we want them arrested ,” Dipshita Dhar an SFI leader of JNU fame said. ABVP leaders however blamed the Left for resorting to violence against peaceful protest. Later Bengal Minister and a former JU student Agnimitra Paul said, “I pray for the speedy recovery of ABVP student Nikhil Das and everyone injured at Jadavpur University,” adding “the ideological battle against “Dimagi Naxals” will continue.” 

When contacted the Vice Chancellor of the University said, he was submitting a comprehensive report to the Government and the Governor besides setting up an inquiry committee. JU had hit the national headlines in 2019 when then Union Minister Babul Supriyo and Agnimitra Paul were gheraoed by the students inside the campus for hours. Then Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had to personally visit the campus and get the two leaders released.