Balasore Self Immolation Case: Congress calls 'Odisha Bandh' on July 17, demands Education Minister's resignation

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 15 (ANI): Odisha State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday called for a statewide "bandh" on July 17 in protest against the death of a student of Balasore Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, who self-immolated herself in protest over sexual harassment by her teacher.
The 20-year-old victim succumbed to burn injuries late last night despite a 60-hour treatment effort at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Das demanded the resignation of the State Education Minister, local MLA and MP over the death of the Balasore student.
"Our demand is that the Education Minister, the MLA, and the MP--all three--should resign, and their party should expel all three... On the 17th, we have called for an Odisha bandh, and we appeal to all sections to support it," Das told ANI.
The Odisha Congress Chief noted that the victim, even after complaining at multiple forums, did not get justice.
"The student knocked on every door for justice and even got an FIR registered... but she did not get justice... She even went to the MLA. The MLA could have ensured justice for her, but he did not do so... The MP also did not take this matter seriously... Was it not their responsibility to take this matter seriously? ... If even a little action had been taken, the situation would not have come to the point where that student had to take her own life... The government did not even realise that this is their responsibility," he added.
Earlier, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called the death of the 20-year-old Balasore student an "organised murder by the BJP's system," accusing the BJP of failing to protect the victim.
In a post on X, LoP 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."
"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," the post reads.
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. (ANI)