Balasore (Odisha) [India], July 16 (ANI): Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday took to the streets, calling for ‘Balasore Bandh’ in protest against the Odisha government after a 20-year-old girl self-immolated herself because of alleged sexual harassment by her teacher.
The BJD workers burned tyres on the roads in Balasore expressing anger over the “inaction” of government that led the girl to self-immolate herself in protest of the sexual harassment.
A BJD worker demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
“People in large numbers are joining our protest…The victim should get justice. The Chief Minister and the state Health Minister should resign…We have called for the Balasore Bandh from 6 am to 2 pm,” he said.
The 20-year-old student set herself on fire after allegedly facing prolonged sexual harassment by her college’s Head of Department. Despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident. The incident occurred at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.
Earlier BJD chief Naveen Patnaik criticised the Odisha government, calling their administration a “failed system” and blamed their inaction for the death of a Balasore college student.
Patnaik said that her death “was not an accident” but a result of system that “remained silent instead of helping.”
“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,” Naveen Patnaik said in a post on X.
Emphasising the alleged inaction by the administration, Patnaik said that the student was ignored by the authority before despite repeated attempt to seek help.
“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,” Patnaik said.
On Monday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha’s Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation.
The Department of Burn Centre, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, said in a statement that the patient was brought to the casualty on July 12 and was referred from Balasore District Headquarters Hospital to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. (ANI)
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