On January 17, 2026, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reportedly clashed with members of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students’ Association (BAPSA) during a peaceful commemoration of a student’s death.

BAPSA organized the demonstration to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Rohith Vemula, a PhD student and member of the Ambedkar Students’ Association, which advocates for the rights of Dalit students on campus. Vemula died by suicide in January 2016 after being accused of taking part in an attack on an ABVP member. While Vemula denied the allegations and was initially cleared of all charges, the university later reversed course and expelled him, along with four other students. The circumstances of his death drew widespread attention to allegations of caste-based discrimination and ignited protests across Indian campuses.

The BAPSA demonstration was intended to include a march from the library to the Ambedkar statue to demand an end to discrimination. However, as the procession began, ABVP activists entered the group, sparking a heated argument over sloganeering. The altercation escalated into a physical scuffle, with members from both organizations trading blows before police intervened to separate the groups.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent clashes between student groups on campus. Scholars at Risk calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to avoid violence. State authorities have the right and obligation to maintain order, which they must with due regard for the rights of protesters and others, including the rights to free expression, academic freedom, peaceful assembly, and due process.

Sources:
https://bharathorizon.com/education/universities/lucknow-university-clash-between-bapsa-and-abvp-during-march.html
https://www.thestatesman.com/india/clash-erupts-at-lucknow-university-during-rohith-vemula-memorial-march-1503542292.html
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35349790