BJD workers stage massive protests outside Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar: Tensions gripped Odisha as Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers staged massive protests outside the Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar, seeking justice for a Balasore college student who died after setting herself ablaze.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protests, part of the broader Balasore bandh, witnessed chaotic scenes with police deploying tear gas and water cannons to control the agitated crowd.
The student, in second-year (B.Ed) from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, had reportedly self-immolated on campus last Saturday, against sexual harassment by a professor and administrative inaction. After battling for her life for three days, she died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night.
Senior BJD leaders held the state government responsible for the tragedy. Party vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra demanded a judicial probe, saying, “We demand the government come out of its slumber and take action by ordering a judicial inquiry. Those who took no action should take moral responsibility and resign.”
BJD workers have vowed to intensify their agitation if their demands remain unaddressed, insisting the issue transcends politics and concerns basic human rights.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to the victim’s father on Wednesday, expressing solidarity in their pursuit of justice.
“Spoke with the father of the brave daughter who lost her life in the fight for justice in Balasore, Odisha. In his voice, I felt his daughter’s pain, dreams, and struggle and assured him that the Congress and I stand with them at every step,” Rahul wrote on X.
“What happened is not only inhuman and shameful but a wound to the entire society. We will ensure in every way that the victim’s family receives full justice,” he added.
