Bhubaneswar: Congress leaders on Tuesday stepped up the attack the Odisha government and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the death of a female student of FM Autonomous College, Balasore who had set herself on fire after her complaint against a teacher accused of harassment was ignored.
Coming down heavily on BJP over the incident, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said another daughter of Odisha who raised her voice against sexual harassment failed to get justice and she was met with threats and humiliation.
In a post on X, the Congress MP said the girl lost her life while fighting for justice. She raised her voice against the atrocities committed against her but instead of getting justice, she got humiliation and harassment. This double harassment forced her to commit suicide.
Hitting out at the lotus party over the incident, she sought to know whether BJP has only one rule – from Delhi to UP, from Manipur to Odisha – to stand with the accused and harass the victim and obstruct justice.
Priyanka sought to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether half the population of the country should now give up any hope of justice.
As the national party called for Odisha bandh on July 17 over the issue, AICC’s Odisha in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu said the tragedy could have been averted had the responsible institutions, including the Chief Minister’s Office, Higher Education department, district and college administration, acted with urgency and sensitivity.
Demanding immediate resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj for gross negligence, he said Congress seeks a high-level independent probe into the incident.
The inquiry should be headed by a sitting High Court Judge, he said, adding that there should be comprehensive institutional reforms to guarantee the safety and dignity of women in all educational and public space across Odisha.
Notably, opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also come out with similar demands following the tragic incident involving the death of B.Ed student Soumashree Bisi.
The BJD also demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge and the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, holding them morally responsible for the incident.
Notably, Soumyashree was declared clinically dead at 11.46 pm on Monday hours after President Droupadi Murmu and Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati visited AIIMS-Bhubaneswar to inquire about her health condition.
The second-year Integrated BEd student set herself on fire on July 12 afternoon after her complaint of sexual harassment against Samira Kumar Sahu, who headed the Bachelor of Education Department, went unaddressed. She had sustained 90-95% burns.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress members staged a protest near Ram Mandir Square in Bhubaneswar. They burnt effigies of the CM and Higher Education Minister, accusing them of failing to deliver justice to the deceased student.
