ABVP, Left Student Groups Clash on JU Campus; VC to Set Up Probe Panel

Kolkata: A clash broke out between members of ABVP and Left-leaning student groups in Jadavpur University early on Thursday, with both sides accusing each other of bringing outsiders into the campus, officials of the institute said.

Vice Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya said the incident was undesirable and that a committee will be constituted to investigate it. He also said that entry of outsiders into the campus after dusk was restricted.

Several students were injured in the clash, and some of them were taken to a hospital, officials said, adding that fire was set at several places of the university's main campus in the southern part of Kolkata.

The confrontation started over a meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union (FETSU) on Wednesday and continued late into the night, one of the varsity officials said.

Jadavpur University's administrative building, Aurobindo Bhavan, was locked amid escalating tensions, while groups of students gathered outside.

Fires were also allegedly set at a few places on the campus in the early hours of Thursday, the university sources said.

Videos circulating among students' social media groups showed several people shouting slogans and attempting to enter locked buildings of the university.

The two camps have traded allegations over the presence of people from outside the university.

RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that members of the Left student organisations, including the SFI and DSO-DSF, had started confrontations under the cover of the FETSU meeting.

Left-leaning groups, however, accused the ABVP of bringing outsiders into the campus and indulging in vandalism.

The vice-chancellor said he has spoken to several students, faculty members and officials, including the officiating registrar.

"Different ideologies co-exist on campus. Being an alumnus of JU, I had been exposed to this plurality of views, the liberal space provided by this university. As the VC, I think the law of the land should be applicable on campus, and there should be security on campus," he told reporters.

Bhattacharya said that the varsity authorities are against a police outpost on the campus following a high court order.

"If such undesirable things happen, we have to take enhanced steps for campus security. Entry of outsiders has been restricted on the campus after dusk. We will set up an inquiry committee to trace the circumstances," he said.

To a question, the VC said he will talk to Governor R N Ravi who is the chancellor of the university.

ABVP functionary Shubhabrata Adhikari alleged that several people from outside the university were involved in the attack and police complaints were lodged.

He also said members of the organisation had gathered outside the Jadavpur Police Station in protest.

Left student groups accused the ABVP of taking down flags and setting them on fire during the confrontation.

A Jadavpur University official said, "FETSU members allegedly slapped a worker of the ABVP unit of the university during the confrontation. Later, a mob, allegedly comprising local BJP workers, entered the campus at around 1 am, and beat up members of the Left-leaning student unions."

Jadavpur University Teachers' Association condemned the entry of outsiders on the campus and acts of vandalism.

"We demand peaceful academic activity on the campus," a JUTA official said.

ABVP announced a protest on the university campus on Thursday over the incident. In response, SFI declared a demonstration at the 8B bus stand near the university during the day, its state committee member Subhajit Sarkar said.