Tension persists at Jadavpur University; student groups demand suspension of ex-VC over clash
Jadavpur University, one of India's premier institutions known for its vibrant student politics, remained tense on Monday (August 24, 2026) — five days after a violent clash between supporters of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-affiliated student unions. Both groups organised rallies and made several demands to the administration, keeping the campus on edge.
Left-affiliated students' wings, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Students' Federation (DSF), marched to the university's main building, Aurobindo Bhaban, and staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor's office. Their principal demand was the suspension of former vice-chancellor and professor of mathematics, Buddhadeb Sau.
The demand came a day after a purported CCTV footage from the night of the incident on August 20 went viral on social media. In the footage, Mr. Sau is seen speaking to security guards at gate number 4 and allowing several ABVP and local BJP leaders from outside the university — including ABVP state president Subhabrata Adhikari, election agent of Jadavpur MLA Sarbori Mukherjee, and a former student, Soumyasurya Banerjee — to enter the campus premises.
A student leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that Mr. Sau played a direct role in the clash. "Mr. Sau is also an official part of the RSS-backed teachers' wing, Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM). This footage made it clear how he provoked the mob and engineered the clash in the campus. He deliberately allowed outsiders to enter the premises. Therefore, we have demanded the authority to take immediate action against him. He should be suspended and his name should also be included in the FIR," the student said.
The students also demanded that a student representative be included in the independent inquiry panel constituted to probe the incident. They expressed discontent that no arrests have been made so far and declared that they would gherao the vice-chancellor's office if their demands were not met.
Meanwhile, the ABVP and ABRSM called a separate rally from Jadavpur to Dhakuria. Speaking at the rally, Mr. Sau accused registrar Selim Box Mandal of leaking confidential university information to outsiders to create a ruckus. ABVP leader Nikhil Das questioned how the CCTV footage reached the public before the police could access it. "We will not let the Left-backed naxals turn JU into a hub of anti-national activities. We will continue our fight till they are removed from the campus," Mr. Das said.
The violence began at around 2 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, when ABVP supporters, armed with lathis and sticks, entered the campus and allegedly tore and set fire to posters of Left student unions. They claimed their supporters were assaulted by members of Left student unions during a general body meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union (FETSU). Later that day, both sides held rallies inside and outside the university campus, and police put up barricades to prevent rival factions from clashing.
At least four first information reports (FIRs) have been lodged at the local police station in connection with the incident. Ms. Mukherjee lodged an FIR against Left students for assaulting ABVP students; the university authority lodged an FIR over vandalisation and ruckus on the campus by a mob from outside; and SFI and ABVP filed cross FIRs against each other.
Former chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the incident on Monday. "The BJP has wreaked havoc at Jadavpur University. The emblem of the university has also been destroyed. Even though I may have differences of opinion with the students of Jadavpur, I respect them," she said. She added that the students of JU are her "friends" despite differences of opinion.
