The RSS-BJP’s Campus Foot Soldiers: ABVP-Admin Nexus Undermining Campus Democracy

On March 18, 2025, students and SFCs of Bachelors gathered at the Dean of Students (DoS) office to submit signatures demanding the opening of Barak Hostel. After days of being ignored, students were shocked to learn that the DoS had no time for their demands but gladly entertained a closed-door meeting with ABVP representatives. The blatant refusal to meet the first-year students and other protesters shows just how deeply the administration favors ABVP while disregarding student welfare.

The JNUSU has been protesting at the DoS since March 6. The protest demands include the allotment of Barak, the immediate notification of JNUSU elections, and the withdrawal of the proctorial inquiry against Sajid, JNUSU Joint Secretary. ABVP did not stand with the students throughout the protest. Not a single ABVP member or elected JNUSU councillor from ABVP showed solidarity at the DoS protest. Yet, true to form, ABVP shamelessly attempted to take credit for the efforts of the protesting students. This is not a one-off instance. ABVP’s politics of division and opportunism have repeatedly been exposed, while the administration continues to act as their enabler.

A Legacy of Violence and Impunity:

The nexus between ABVP and JNU administration is not a recent phenomenon. It has grown unchecked for years.

• October 14-15, 2016: ABVP members assaulted Najeeb Ahmed, leading to his subsequent disappearance. The administration’s inaction in the aftermath only highlighted their loyalty to their ideological masters.
• September, 2018: ABVP members halted the JNUSU election counting process for sixteen hours, and later even after the results were declared, went on a violent mayhem, attacking AISA activists and students throughout the campus. They faced zero consequences.
• January 5, 2020: ABVP members, alongside RSS-backed faculty, attacked students protesting against the illegal IHA manual and massive fee hikes. Armed with rods and sticks, they unleashed brutal violence to suppress the movement for affordable education. The administration stood by, shielding the perpetrators.
• November 14, 2021: ABVP members beat up students and activists at Teflas who had gathered there for a study circle, once again, enjoying administrative protection.
• April 10, 2022: ABVP violently attacked students at Kaveri Hostel Mess simply because non-vegetarian food was being served. The administration did nothing.
• August 22, 2022: ABVP goons entered the S&P section and attacked staff and guards. They have not been punished.
• January 24, 2023: During the screening of “The Modi Question”, ABVP resorted to stone pelting. The administration responded by cutting off the electricity, furthering the violent disruption. 
• February 9, 2024: At the UGBM, ABVP members brutally attacked students and disrupted the democratic process. 
• February 29, 2024: At the SL GBM, ABVP members attacked students with complete impunity. They are yet to be punished.

The list of ABVP’s violent actions and the administration’s deliberate inaction is endless and ever-growing. Despite the undeniable evidence of violence, the administration has never taken action against ABVP members. In contrast, common students demanding their democratic rights have faced crackdowns, suspensions, and arbitrary punishments. Sajid, the joint secretary of JNUSU, is currently facing a proctorial enquiry for raising his voice against the Islamophobic warden of Lohit Hostel. Numerous other students have also recently received notices for proctorial enquiries simply for participating in the ongoing protest at DoS.

A VC in service of the saffron agenda

From the moment the current Vice-Chancellor assumed office, she made her loyalties clear. Her first meeting was not with JNUSU representatives, the elected voices of the student body, but with ABVP members. After the JNUSU elections last year, she refused to meet with the newly elected office bearers, maintaining her cozy association with ABVP.

The VC’s preference for ABVP over democratically elected student representatives is not an administrative failure—it is a deliberate political choice. The administration functions as an extension of the BJP and RSS, dismantling democratic traditions at JNU and ensuring that only right-wing voices are amplified.

While JNU students have consistently fought for their rights, ABVP has never stood with them. They remained silent during movements against fee hike, the removal of GSCASH, the fight for increased MCM and fellowships, and the struggle for Barak hostel. Even now, as the administration works to dismantle JNUSU and silence student democracy, ABVP obediently looks the other way.

The arrangement is clear: the administration protects ABVP, and ABVP repays the favor by sabotaging student movements. The symbiotic relationship ensures that right-wing ideology is propagated on campus, while students’ concerns are dismissed as irrelevant.

We Refuse to Be Silenced. The students of JNU will not stand by as the administration and ABVP collude against them. The struggle for Barak Hostel is just one of many battles that expose the true face of this nexus. The demand remains clear:

• The DoS must meet with common students and JNUSU representatives.
• The administration must provide a written confirmation with a clear timeline for the opening of Barak Hostel.
• Accountability must be established for the repeated violence by ABVP.

JNU belongs to its students, not the RSS-BJP’s puppets. The fight will rage on, and no amount of repression will silence the voices of those who stand for justice.