New Delhi, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) witnessed tense scenes and sloganeering on Monday during a discussion on former student leader Umar Khalid’s book Fractured Communities: Adivasi History and Politics of Power.
The event, which drew students and faculty members, was originally scheduled to be held at the JNU auditorium. However, the university administration cancelled the booking, following which the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) organised the discussion outside the School of Social Sciences-II building.
The discussion began around 3 p.m., with students and teachers gathering at the venue. The situation became tense when two groups of students confronted each other over the event.
Students associated with the JNUSU raised slogans demanding Khalid’s release, including “Release Umar Khalid” and “The locks of the jail will break, all comrades will be freed.”
Students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which had opposed the event, responded with counter-slogans, leading to heated exchanges between the two groups.
The confrontation resulted in allegations and counter-allegations from the student factions, although the discussion continued amid the heightened atmosphere.
The university administration had earlier revoked permission for the auditorium event, stating that the booking had been obtained by providing “incorrect and incomplete” information.
Khalid, a former JNU student leader, has been in custody since September 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged conspiracy related to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The latest incident has once again brought JNU into the spotlight over political activities and ideological confrontations on its campus.
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