Four have been detained by Police after several students who had gathered at the JNU students' union office for a screening of a controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, claimed the varsity administration cut power and internet to stop the screening and staged a protest after stones were allegedly thrown on them.
They claimed that they were attacked when they were watching the documentary on their mobile phones as the screening could not be held.
Some alleged that the attackers were members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a charge the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated student body denied.
Later in the night, raising slogans of "Inqlaab Zindabad" and against the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration, the protesting students marched to the Vasant Kunj police station to complain about the "stone pelters".
On the power cut at the campus, a JNU administration official, requesting anonymity told PTI, "There is a major (power) line fault at the university. We are looking into it. The engineering department is saying it will be resolved at the earliest."
There was no immediate official response from the JNU administration to the allegations and claims of the students.
It had on Monday in an advisory said that the union had not taken its permission for the event and it should be canceled, warning of strict disciplinary action.
However, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) earlier in the day in a statement had said that there is no intention to create any form of disharmony through the screening of the documentary or movie.
It also sought clarification from the administration regarding rules which mandate that prior permission is required for the screening of any film or documentary on the university premises JNU-All India Students Association (AISA) secretary Madhurima said.
"Some students had seen ABVP activists pelting stones and recognized them," she added, "also, a teacher had called sometime back (informing) that there were some goons, wearing masks, around the main gate and were talking about weapons."
The ABVP denied the allegation, saying they were not present on the spot.
Asrar Ahmed, who had gone for the screening said, "We were watching the documentary peacefully (on our phones) but some people threw stones at us. As it was dark, the people who threw the stones could not be identified."
However, a senior police officer said that no stone-pelting incident was reported to the police.
"The JNUSU organized a screening of the documentary. However, the JNU administration said no prior information was given for the event. No such permission is required before such an event. They cut the power supply and stones were pelted at students who were watching the documentary on their phones," student activist Qasim said.
"There is an atmosphere of fear on the university campus. We tried to mobilize students toward the gate but goons were there too. So, we decided to march towards the police station demanding that electricity be restored," he said.
In a statement, the AISA-JNU said, "The JNUSU had organized the screening of India: The Modi Question today at Teflas at 9 pm. Just 30 minutes before the scheduled screening time, the electricity connection to the entire JNU campus strangely failed."
Nevertheless, students gathered at the venue for the screening with their laptops and Bluetooth speakers, it said.
"The students had resolved to watch the documentary despite the numerous obstacles. While the students were peacefully watching the documentary on laptops, ABVP goons suddenly started pelting stones and broken glass bottles at the students in the dark," it said.
The students' body said the students somehow escaped from the venue and marched towards the main gate in protest. "Even during the peaceful protest of students, ABVP goons repeatedly pelted stones and attacked numerous students. Several female students were harassed amidst the growing chaos," it said.
The Indian government on Friday directed social media platforms Twitter and YouTube to block links to the documentary titled "India: The Modi Question".
The Ministry of External Affairs has called the documentary a "propaganda piece" that lacks objectivity and reflects a colonial mindset.
However, opposition parties have slammed the government's move to block access to the documentary.
The JNU administration, in an advisory on Monday, had said that the union had not taken its permission for the event and it should be canceled as it could “disturb peace and harmony”.
The two-part BBC documentary series has held Modi directly responsible for the Muslim genocide in 2002 in Gujarat.