Public fury spilled onto the streets of Bhubaneswar on Wednesday as demonstrators clashed with police outside the Odisha Assembly, following the death of a 20-year-old college student who set herself ablaze on campus.
Odisha police used water cannons to disperse protestors from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) who had gathered outside the Assembly, demanding action against the government over the death of a college student from Balasore who died following self-immolation.
BJD supporters called for a 'Balasore', burning tyres and staging road blockades, accusing the government of remaining apathetic to the plight of the victim. Tensions escalated outside the state secretariat Lok Seva Bhavan as protestors attempted to breach police barricades. Police resorted to tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who attempted to breach barricades.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke to the father of the college student, who died after setting herself on fire in Odisha's Balasore district, over the phone and assured him of support in the fight for justice.
The woman, a B.Ed. student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, succumbed to severe burn injuries at AIIMS Bhubaneswar late on Monday night. She had reportedly lodged multiple complaints against her Department head, accusing him of sexual harassment, complaints which, according to students and local leaders, were ignored by the college administration.
The incident has triggered a political storm in Odisha, with opposition parties, led by the Congress, calling for a statewide bandh on Thursday, 17 July. The BJD, which staged its own eight-hour bandh in Balasore district, is demanding a judicial probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances leading to her death.
Also read: Odisha self-immolation: Student succumbs to injuries
The student, who sustained 90 per cent burns, had accused Sameer Kumar Sahoo, head of her department, of repeated sexual misconduct and coercive threats. “She had been visibly traumatised for weeks,” said a fellow student, adding that the woman had feared academic repercussions if she failed to comply with Sahoo’s alleged demands.
Following her death, both the accused and college principal Dillip Kumar Ghosh were arrested.
As outrage intensified, several women’s groups and student organisations joined the demonstrations, accusing the government of failing to create a safe educational environment for young women.
The Department of Burns at AIIMS Bhubaneswar stated that the student was admitted on 12 July after being referred from the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital. She sustained 90 per cent burns and succumbed despite intensive treatment.
As outrage simmers, security has been tightened across Bhubaneswar, particularly around government offices such as Rajiv Bhavan and Kharavela Bhavan, to prevent further unrest. The BJD has called for a statewide bandh on Thursday, demanding a judicial probe into the incident and the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
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