BJD to hold protest for 6 hours in Puri on August 7 over the death of 15-year-old

Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], August 6 (ANI): The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Odisha's largest opposition party, will hold a six-hour protest in Puri on August 7 over the death of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly set on fire by unidentified miscreants in Balanga, party leader Lenin Mohanty told ANI.
Lenin Mohanty said the protest aims to raise awareness about the deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"We have decided to hold a Hartal (protest) for 6 hours through which we want to spread awareness that the way things are going in Odisha, especially in rural areas, after the BJP came to power, it has become difficult for the common man," Mohanty said.
Speaking about the death of the 15-year-old, he also questioned the state government's handling of the case, suggesting that there were several irregularities and suspicious developments in the investigation.
"The law and order have collapsed. Women, youth, and common people are not safe... The matter looks very suspicious. Just two days before the death of the girl, the Deputy CM said that the girl might survive. Immediately after the death, the police tweets that nobody, including themselves, should be criticised over the matter. This makes the matter absolutely fishy," he said.
The 15-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and set on fire by unidentified persons near a riverside in the Balanga area of Puri district on July 19. She sustained 75 per cent burns and was initially admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. She was later airlifted to AIIMS New Delhi and admitted to the Burn ICU, where she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday.
According to the police, the minor had gone out with her friends but was allegedly abducted midway and taken to the riverside, where she was set ablaze. She managed to reach a nearby house, from where her cousin took her to the hospital.
Earlier, while speaking to ANI, BJD MP Subhashish Khuntia slammed the BJP government in Odisha for failing to arrest the miscreants who set the girl on fire.
"This is very sad...The police have not been able to arrest those behind this incident. The Odisha government has completely failed," Khuntia said. (ANI)