Midnight violence at JNU: Administration says will take strict action

Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The administration of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has taken cognisance of the violence that broke out in the campus early Monday morning and said it will take strict action to ensure 'a proper academic environment' is maintained.

Issuing a statement in this regard, the JNU administration said, "...several academic buildings inside the campus were reportedly locked by a group of protesting students. The protesting students entered the central library and reportedly threatened the unwilling students, intimidated them to join the protest. It is learnt that this led to a scuffle between two student groups on campus on the night of 22nd February, 2026."

Condemning the 'unruly behaviour on campus aimed at repeated destruction of public property', the administration said, "Strict action under university's rules & regulations and under BNS is being taken to ensure proper academic environment in the campus."

Tensions escalated at 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.

According to students, a scuffle allegedly broke out, followed by stone-pelting that left several injured. According to a statement from the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union, a march — titled “Samta Juloos” — was undertaken, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit for her 'casteist' remarks over the University Grants Commission’s new equity regulations in a recent podcast interview.

The protesters claimed the administration failed to engage with them and allowed members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront the march. 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.

ABVP, however, rejected the allegations, accusing Left-backed outfits of provoking the clashes and spreading misinformation.