Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday strongly condemned the death of a 20-year-old college student from Balasore, Odisha, calling it an 'organised murder by the BJP’s system.' Gandhi held the ruling party responsible for failing to protect the victim and accused it of shielding the perpetrators.
The student, who studied at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, allegedly faced prolonged sexual harassment at the hands of her college's Head of Department. Despite filing a formal complaint and seeking intervention from the college principal, her grievances reportedly went unheard. Feeling helpless and cornered, the student attempted self-immolation and later succumbed to her injuries.
In a post shared on social media platform X, 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."
Gandhi further accused the BJP government of actively shielding the accused and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak up. "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," he said.
Also Read: Odisha: Father blames college for daughter’s self-immolation
Earlier in the day, Congress workers staged a protest outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where the student had been admitted following her self-immolation attempt. Police later detained several protesting workers. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed on Monday that the student had passed away. In an official statement, the Burns Centre of the hospital detailed the medical efforts made to save her life.
"The patient was brought to the casualty on July 12, referred from Balasore District Headquarters Hospital to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. She was admitted to the Burns Centre ICU, resuscitated with IV fluids and antibiotics, intubated, and put on mechanical ventilation. Despite all possible medical interventions, including renal replacement therapy, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 pm on July 14," the hospital stated.
The tragic incident has sparked political outrage and renewed calls for accountability and systemic reform in how cases of sexual harassment are handled, particularly within educational institutions.
Also Read: Odisha self-immolation: Student succumbs to injuries
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