Students in Delhi and several cities across the country marched against the arrest of JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges, while ABVP activists held counter-protests demanding action against "anti-nationals".
In Delhi, thousands of people from colleges, universities and civil society took out a march to protest the police action at JNU and demanded immediate release of Kumar.
The protesters held placards and shouted slogans like "Long Live JNU", as they march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar.
Posters in support of JNU students opposing the arrest of Kumar were also found at University of Baroda in Vadodara.
In Hyderabad, a section of students belonging to the University of Hyderabad, which had witnessed a turmoil over the suicide of dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula last month, boycotted classes and took out a march on the varsity campus expressing solidarity with the agitating JNU students.
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) took out marches in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata, demanding action against 'anti-national' elements in Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU) in the national capital. They organised a "Nation First Tricolour March" in Bengaluru.
Student leaders of CPI's student wing AISF and workers of RJD's youth wing clashed with BJP workers outside the BJP office in Patna over arrest of Kumar, who hails from Bihar.
Patna City Superintendent of Police Chandan Kushwaha said a group of workers of AISF and the youth wing of Lalu Prasad's party reached Bihar's state BJP office to protest the arrest.
As BJP workers protested, a clash broke out in which stones and water bottles were hurled from both sides.
Police used mild force to separate the rival protesters, the City SP said.
Station House Officer of Kotwali police station Ramesh Kumar Singh said that the AISF and RJD workers arrived at the BJP office without any prior information.
The BJP which had given notice to take out a march from its office to Income Tax roundabout was not allowed by the police to go ahead and stopped at the party office itself.
The city SP said the situation has been brought under control and additional police force deployed at the spot to prevent further clashes.
"We had taken prior permission for taking out a march which was not permitted. The workers of AISF and RJD armed with lathis were allowed to come upto our party office and attack us without any prior notice," BJP state Vice President Sanjay Mayukh said.
Tamil folk-singer Kovan was among 57 people detained in Chennai during a protest march taken out against the arrest and attack of Kumar in Patiala House court in Delhi. The protesters raised slogans against the Modi government.
The protesters were part of cultural outfit Makkal Kalai Ilakiya Kazhagam, Revolutionary Students' Youth Front (RSYS) and five other student organisations. They were also protesting against ABVP, the student wing of RSS.
They were picked up by the police within 15 minutes from the protest venue in front of Shastri Bhavan in Nungambakkam.
Kovan, who had already been arrested and slapped with a sedition case earlier for singing a song that allegedly insulted Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, reportedly sang a song against the Central government.
( With PTI inputs)
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