8 Opposition parties declare 'Odisha Bandh' on July 17 over Balasore student death

India Gazette

15-07-2025

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 15 (ANI): Eight Opposition political parties, including the Congress, on Tuesday unitedly called for 'Odisha Bandh' on July 17 over the death of a 20-year-old girl student from Balasore, demanding the resignation of the State Higher Education Minister and a judicial investigation.
'Joint opposition has resolved that Odisha will be closed on 17th July,' CPI(M) leader Suresh Panigrahi told ANI.
'The victim girl appealed to the Odisha government, the local MP and MLA, Principal, District Collector, SP and the Higher Education Minister of state and centre, but nothing happened... We demand a strict judicial investigation of the whole incident, the Higher Education Minister should resign, and some action should be taken against the local MLA and MP,' he added.
On Monday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha's Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation.
She set herself on fire after allegedly facing prolonged sexual harassment by her college's Head of Department. Despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident. The incident occurred at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.
Meanwhile, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday called the death an 'organised murder by the BJP's system,' accusing the BJP of failing to protect the victim.
Gandhi alleged that the student was subjected to repeated threats, torments and humiliation instead of receiving justice.
In a post on X, LoP Gandhi wrote, 'The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP's system. That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment, but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her.'
'As always, the BJP's system continued to shield the accused and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire. This is not suicide; it is an organised murder by the system. Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur, the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent. The country doesn't need your silence; it needs answers. India's daughters need safety and justice,' the post read.
Earlier in the day, the Congress workers staged a protest outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar following the death of the student. Police later detained the protesting workers. (ANI)