Bhubaneswar: BJD leaders Pranab Prakash Das and Pritiranjan Gharai were injured during the party’s march towards Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.
The demonstration demanded justice for a 20-year-old student, who died following a self-immolation attempt, allegedly triggered by prolonged sexual harassment by a senior faculty member of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore and institutional inaction.
According to sources, police used tear gas shells as well as water cannons as hundreds of BJD workers marched from Master Canteen Square towards the State Secretariat, the highest seat of power in the state. Tensions escalated when they were blocked by police after breaching the security barricades, leading to a clash.
A tear gas shell hit Das in his left leg, leaving him injured. He was admitted to the ICU of Apollo Hospital here for treatment. Gharai also sustained injuries during the protest and was admitted to the ICU of Utkal Hospital here.
Several other BJD leaders, including Sulata Deo, who was hit by a bullet on her chest, Pramila Mallik, Sunil Mohanty, Biswa Mallik, Jitu Balabantray, and Sanjeev Mallik, sustained injuries and were also taken to Apollo Hospital for treatment. “It was a peaceful mark..You see, the police, without any reason, have used tear gas, water cannons, and even rubber bullets. This is the mentality of this government…Odisha has been defamed not only in India but across the world with the US issuing a travel advisory to its citizens to practice caution,” said BJD leader Chandra Sekhar Sahu.
BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said that this was an attempt to muzzle the voice of the Opposition. “The government tried to crush our right for a democratic protest. It resembled a battle scene between India and Pakistan at the borders. This is unforgivable,” he said.
He stressed the need for a judicial probe into the incident, stating that the young woman’s post on X, tagging the CM, Higher Education Minister, Balasore MP and MLAs, elicited no response. “Will they and along with the student wing of BJP, which instigated her to take the extreme step be brought under the purview of police investigation?” he asked.
The protest was a part of a wider Balasore Bandh. “This government has become a symbol of lawlessness. Even the US has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens not to travel alone in Odisha, calling it unsafe. How much lower will they go? This is a government that invites advisories, that targets Dalits, that enables murder — it is a murderous regime…,” alleged Deo.
