• Clashes erupted at JNU during a late-night protest march
• Left and Right student groups blamed each other for violence
• Protesters demand VC's resignation over controversial remarks

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Tensions escalated at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) early Monday after student groups linked to both Left and Right ideologies accused each other of triggering violence during a late-night protest march.

Students said the confrontation began around 1.30 am, when a scuffle allegedly broke out, followed by stone-pelting that left several participants injured, according to PTI. According to a statement from the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, the march — titled “Samta Juloos” — was headed towards the East Gate, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and the withdrawal of a rustication order. Protesters claimed the administration failed to engage with them and allowed members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront the march.

ABVP, however, rejected the allegations, accusing Left-backed outfits of provoking the clashes and spreading misinformation. Groups aligned with the Left, including the All India Students' Association, alleged that ABVP activists attacked “unarmed students” and hurled stones at the protest site.

Videos circulating among students appeared to show chaotic scenes near the encampment, with rival groups clashing amid panic and confusion. University authorities did not immediately respond to queries, while students said the atmosphere on campus remained tense.

What's the row over JNU V-C podcast remark

The protest follows controversy over remarks made by the Vice Chancellor in a recent podcast interview. In the interview, she criticised the University Grants Commission’s new equity regulations, calling them “totally unnecessary”, “irrational”, and an example of “wokeism”.

She said, “You cannot progress by being permanently a victim or playing the victim card. This was done for the Blacks; the same thing was brought for Dalits here.”

The JNUSU has demanded her resignation, calling the remarks “blatantly casteist statements”. The union said the comments reflected “the chronology of injustice, caste supremacy, and perpetual systemic exclusion in universities and public spaces.”

Responding to the criticism, Pandit told PTI that her remarks had been taken out of context. “I am a Bahujan myself, I come from an OBC background,” she said. She added that the equity regulations were introduced without adequate consultation and described them as unnecessary and constitutionally flawed.

The Vice Chancellor also defended the administration’s decision to rusticate five student leaders for allegedly damaging surveillance equipment at the Ambedkar Library. She said the students had destroyed public property and that the administration had shown restraint by debarring them for two semesters and imposing a fine.