Bhubaneswar: Odisha has been witnessing a political slugfest following the self-immolation and subsequent death of the student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balsore.
The 20-year-old, Soumyashree Bisi, had set herself on fire on the college campus on July 12 afternoon after her repeated complaints of sexual harassment by a senior faculty member went unaddressed. She was declared dead at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar late on Monday.
While Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) blamed the “BJP system” for her death, the ruling party has hit back at the Opposition, specifically Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, for exploiting the tragedy for political gain.
Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan slammed Rahul for calling the student’s death an “organised murder, and accused the Congress MP of turning a sensitive issue into a political weapon, which he claimed reflected his “petty mindset”.
“It is deeply unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi is turning a sensitive and serious issue into a political weapon. This reflects his cheap mentality and undermines the gravity of the situation,” Dharmendra posted on X.
The Union Minister emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party have always prioritised women’s safety and justice, and the Odisha government is committed to taking strict action against those responsible for the incident. “Prime Minister Modi ji and the BJP have always taken concrete steps for women’s safety and justice, while Congress has consistently sought opportunities in every tragedy. On this incident, the Odisha government stands with the victim’s family with full sensitivity, and the strictest action will be taken against the culprits; no one will be spared,” he wrote.
Dharmendra also called on Rahul to apologise to the victim’s family for his “irresponsible” remarks.
Earlier in the day, Rahul, in a post on X, said that those who were supposed to protect her kept “breaking her”. He claimed that it was not an act of suicide but an organised murder by the system. He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on incidents of violence against women.
Also Read: Those Supposed To Protect Her, Kept Breaking Her: Rahul Gandhi On FM College Student Death
BJD president Naveen Patnaik had also posted a similar statement over the incident. “The sequence of events leading to the death of FM College student amounts to nothing less than institutional betrayal, bordering on premeditated injustice,” he wrote on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida had also advised the Opposition to refrain from politicising the tragedy. “We are all grieve this unfortunate incident and this is no time for political blame games. The accused faculty member and principal have already been arrested, and the government is committed to ensuring justice for the victim,” she said.
