Congress-led opposition parties have called for an Odisha bandh scheduled for July 17, Thrusday, as grief and outrage poured in from all quarters over the death of a college girl. The student of FM Autonomous College, Balasore had set herself on fire allegedly after her harassment complaint against a teacher was ignored on the campus.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’ early on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the death of a daughter seeking justice in Odisha amounts to murder by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led system and this courageous student spoke out against sexual harassment, but instead of receiving justice, she was met with threats, harassment, and relentless humiliation.
“Those who were supposed to protect her were the ones who broke her spirit. As always, the BJP system shielded the accused — and pushed an innocent girl to the point where she set herself on fire. This is not suicide; it is a murder orchestrated by the system,” Mr. Gandhi said.
He questioned ‘silence’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The country doesn’t need your silence — it needs answers. India’s daughters need protection and justice,” said Mr. Gandhi in a hard-hitting message.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in similar line said, “it is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone’s life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping. Struggling for justice, the girl ultimately closed her eyes.”
“With great courage, she had written to the college principal, informing them about the sexual harassment she had faced. Even after being ignored by the college authorities, she did not give up. To seek justice, she reached out to the Higher Education Minister, the Chief Minister’s office, and even a Union Minister. She also personally met the Balasore MP to share her plight,” added Mr. Patnaik.
He said, that her death was due to “institutional betrayal” and not solely due to “physical traua”. He stated that if even one person had taken responsibility and intervened personally, he pointed out perhaps the girl’s life could have been saved.
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said he was shattered to learn of the untimely loss of a young student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College.
“Her passing is not just a tragedy—it is a stark reminder of the urgent need to safeguard our campuses. The law will take its toughest course. Those responsible will face uncompromising punishment,” he said.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi said despite the government fulfilling all responsibilities and the relentless efforts of the team of specialist doctors, her life could not be saved.
“I assure the family of the deceased student that all those guilty in this case will face the stringent punishment as per the law,” Mr. Majhi said.
Earlier, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das, along with leaders of Left parties, held a press conference and expressed their deep anguish over the death of the girl.
“We have called for an Odisha bandh on July 17 demanding judicial inquiry and safety of women,” said Suresh Panigrahi, State Secretary of CPI (M).
Meanwhile, the last rites of the girl who succumbed to burn injuries hours after President Droupadi Murmu visited her at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday evening were performed in Bhogarai area of Balasore district. Mr. Murmu was in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar to address the 5th convocation ceremony of the institute.
