Protests at JNU escalate, over 50 students held amid heavy police deployment

Tensions flared at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Thursday after a student protest escalated into clashes with police, leading to the detention of 51 students and injuries on both sides, as reported by news agency PTI.The unrest began when the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) organised a “Long March” from the campus to the Ministry of Education, calling for the implementation of University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, the proposed Rohith Act, and the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit. Delhi Police responded by setting up multiple barricades and locking the main gate, deploying heavy security to prevent students from marching out.According to police, the situation turned violent when protesters allegedly pelted sticks and shoes and physically assaulted officers. An FIR has been registered against the students. Police said around 25 personnel were injured, including ACP Ved Prakash, ACP Sanghamitra, SHO Atul Tyagi and SHO Ajai Yadav. Some officers were even “bitten” during the altercation, officials claimed.Among those detained were JNUSU president Aditi Mishra and former president Nitish Kumar. Police said the students were stopped as they attempted to proceed towards the Ministry without permission.The students, however, alleged excessive force. In a statement, JNUSU claimed that “more than 50 students” were detained and taken to “undisclosed locations”. The union further alleged that injured students were denied medical assistance. It also claimed that a portrait of B R Ambedkar was damaged during the police action. Videos circulating online appeared to show a photograph of Ambedkar being snatched amid the chaos.Following the detentions, JNUSU called for a “complete lockdown” of the campus and announced a second march from the JNU Main Gate to Vasant Kunj Police Station. “We call upon all the students of JNU to intensify the struggle,” the union said, urging students to gather in large numbers.The university administration condemned the protest, accusing JNUSU members of “vandalism and violence against campus property”. In a post on X, the university said the students were demanding UGC regulations that are currently under a Supreme Court stay, adding that the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar have no authority over those rules.