Violence broke out at Jadavpur University in Kolkata early Thursday following a dispute over a general meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU), with the ABVP and Left-wing student organisations accusing each other of bringing outsiders onto the campus.

According to university sources, tensions began during the FETSU general body meeting on Wednesday and continued late into the night. Amid the escalating situation, Aravinda Bhavan, the university’s administrative building, was locked, while groups of students gathered outside.

University sources also alleged that fires were set at several locations on the campus in the early hours of Thursday. Videos circulating in student social media groups purportedly showed groups of students raising slogans and attempting to enter locked university buildings.

The RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleged that members of Left-wing student organisations, including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students’ Organisation (DSO) and Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF), used the FETSU meeting as a platform to trigger the confrontation.

Both sides have accused each other of bringing people from outside the university into the campus. While ABVP alleged that outsiders were involved in attacks on its members, Left-wing groups accused ABVP supporters of entering the campus with outsiders and attempting to vandalise university property.

ABVP leader Shubhabrata Adhikari alleged that several people from outside the university were involved in the violence and said an FIR was being filed.

Meanwhile, SFI state committee member Shubhajit Sarkar said the organisation had announced a protest march near the 8B Bus Stand, close to Jadavpur University. He also said SFI members had gathered outside Jadavpur Police Station to protest against the incident.

Left-wing student organisations denied the allegations against them and accused ABVP of attempting to enter the university campus and take control of the situation.

DSO leaders alleged that flags were pulled down and fires were set during the confrontation. According to their account, students were barricaded inside a building while the meeting descended into violence. Fires reportedly continued outside as a group allegedly attempted to force its way through the university gates.

ABVP has announced a protest on the Jadavpur University campus on Thursday in response to the incident.

The violence at Jadavpur University continued for several hours late Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. What began as a dispute surrounding the FETSU general meeting reportedly escalated into a confrontation between rival student groups, with allegations of injuries, stone-pelting, arson, vandalism and attempts to forcibly enter university buildings.

However, accounts of how the Jadavpur University clash began remain sharply different.

According to students associated with Left-wing organisations, a group of ABVP-backed students allegedly entered the FETSU general meeting carrying bamboo sticks and attacked students attending the meeting. ABVP, however, alleged that the meeting itself was being used to target its members.

The confrontation soon spilled beyond the meeting venue, triggering a wider clash on the Jadavpur University campus.