- विज्ञापन -
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police used water cannons to disperse workers of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) during a large protest over the death of a Balasore student who self-immolated on Wednesday. The protest was also calling for a “Balasore Bandh” in response to perceived inaction regarding a sexual harassment case.
The 20-year-old college student died from burns after setting herself on fire on campus at Fakir Mohan College, due to what her family and supporters say was neglect by college authorities and internal committees investigating her sexual harassment allegations against a professor.
The BJD declared a Balasore Bandh from 6 am to 2 pm, protesting the lack of justice for the student and demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident. BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra emphasized that public anger is growing over the denial of justice and stated that protests will continue across Odisha until the BJP-led government orders an investigation.
Opposition parties have united in condemning the incident. The Odisha Congress held a candlelight protest in Balasore to demand justice for the student, with Congress President Bhakta Charan Das criticizing the lack of response to her pleas for justice and questioning how she could have resorted to self-immolation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also spoke out, sharing a message of support for the victim’s family and condemning the incident as inhuman and shameful.
Alongside the Congress, BJD supporters also staged protests, burning tires and calling for the resignation of Odisha’s higher education minister and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding action and accountability over the tragic incident.
