Violence erupted inside the Jadavpur University campus in West Bengal late Wednesday (August 19, 2026) as supporters of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Students Federation of India (SFI) clashed over a general body meeting, the police said.

Armed with sticks and batons, supporters of ABVP stormed inside the campus, tore posters of the Left-backed students, and set them on fire. The violence and unrest reached the doors of Aurobindo Bhawan, the administrative headquarters of the university.

ABVP-BJP-RSS goons arrived on bikes at midnight and unleashed violence inside Jadavpur University campus, attacking students with weapons, vandalising union rooms, throwing stones and bricks and setting fire to students' belongings. pic.twitter.com/C7193wb1rW

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) August 19, 2026

The dispute started over a ‘general body’ meeting with the ABVP claiming that the Left-wing supporters reportedly attempted to constitute the Union unilaterally. ABVP supporters said that a ‘general body’ meeting was called even though there are no official union representatives in the university. No student elections have been held for the past few years.

The student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) also claimed that there supporters were manhandled. Several students, including ABVP’s Jadavpur University Unit President Nikhil Das, were injured and later taken to KPC Hospital, Jadavpur, for treatment.

BJP MLA from Jadavpur Sarbari Mukherjee blamed SFI supporters and student leader Srijan Bhattacharya for the ruckus. Mr. Bhattacharya, however, said that the BJP MLA was blaming the violence on students after orchestrating it.

A police complaint, filed by student Aritra Sarkar late at night, invokes sections 191(2), 190, 117(2), 109, 197(1)(d), and 353(1) of the IPC, read with Section 3(1)(r)(s) of the SC/ST Act, against 11 accused persons. No complaint has yet been received from the other side regarding this incident, the police said in a statement on Thursday (August 20, 2026).

The police said the present situation in and around the university is peaceful. “However, information has been received regarding planned political agitations by the involved student organisations of various political parties at the 8B Bus Stand and Jadavpur University surrounding areas in connection with the above incidents. Necessary arrangements are being made accordingly,” the statement read.

On Thursday (August 20, 2026), both SFI and AVBP were called for a gathering outside the university amid a large deployment of police at the premises.

Calling the violence unfortunate, Vice-Chancellor Chiranjeev Bhattacharya said that if required there will be a round the clock police posting inside the campus. Mr. Bhattacharya said that an inquiry will be initiated to ascertain who started the violence.