• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Odisha Bandh On July 17: A united front of opposition parties in Odisha has announced a statewide bandh on Wednesday, July 17, to protest the death of a student who attempted self-immolation at Balasore’s Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. The bandh calls for the complete closure of educational institutions, shops, and markets throughout the state, demanding justice and accountability for the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

Leading the bandh are Congress and seven other political parties, including the CPI, CPI(M), and NCP, demonstrating a rare coalition of voices against the incident. News agency ANI reported that at least eight parties have come together to express their outrage.

The bandh follows protests by Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where the student was hospitalized after setting herself on fire last week.

The 20-year-old student, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree, suffered 95 percent burns and died late Monday night. She had taken this extreme step after alleging sexual harassment by a professor at her college, sparking widespread concern about how her complaint was handled.

The student had accused Samir Kumar Sahu, head of the Education Department at her college, of sexual harassment. She alleged that he made inappropriate advances and threatened academic retaliation if she did not comply. Shockingly, she set herself ablaze just a day after the college’s Internal Complaints Committee cleared Sahu. She said she had apprised CM Majhi, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, national commission for women as well as district police officials about it.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar confirmed the student’s death at 11:46 pm on Monday, two days after admission, during which she was brought to the hospital by her friend and was "resuscitated with IV fluids, IV antibiotics, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation".

Just hours before her death, President Droupadi Murmu visited her in the hospital and offered support to her grieving family.

ALSO READ: SC Issues Notice To UP Govt Over 'QR Code' Diktat To Eateries Along Kanwar Yatra Route To Reveal Their Identities

Soon after the student's death, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi vowed stringent action against those involved and wrote on X, “I assure the family that all those guilty will face the strictest punishment as per the law."

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured the victim’s family that those responsible would face the strictest punishment under the law. Majhi also announced ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the student.

Opposition Unites In Protest

Outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar, political leaders staged demonstrations accusing the state government of a cover-up. BJD leader Sulata Deo questioned why the postmortem was conducted in the middle of the night, stating, “Why was the postmortem done at night? The body was brought at night so that no one would come to know.”

She also revealed that BJD leaders had approached President Murmu seeking her intervention, stressing, “It is shameful that atrocities are being done against women and tribals in Odisha... If such a thing is happening in the temples of education, then where should a woman go?”

ALSO READ: Shubhanshu Shukla's Homecoming Live Updates: Axiom-4 Crew On Track To Reenter Earth’s Atmosphere | WATCH

Congress leader Yashir Nawaz also questioned the same, saying, “We are protesting because they are conducting the post-mortem at 2 am. The government, with the help of the police, want to take the body away after the postmortem.”

BJD leader Snehangini Chhuria also lashed out at the BJP-led state government in Odisha, and said, "Now, the slogan of 'beti bachao beti padhao' has turned to 'beti padhao beti jalao' in Odisha."