India's daughters dying; Modi silent: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP over Odisha Balasore student death

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inaction following the death of a student in Odisha's Balasore. The student died after setting herself ablaze, alleging a lack of action on her sexual harassment complaint. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also criticized the government's inaction.

 

Gandhi condemned the BJP-led Odisha government, describing the student's death as "murder by the BJP's system." He stated that the student raised her voice against sexual harassment but was "threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated" instead of receiving justice. Gandhi further alleged that the BJP's system shielded the accused, driving the student to take her own life.

 

Gandhi stated that the 21-year-old undergraduate student's death was not a suicide but an "organized murder by the system." He criticized Modi, stating that the daughters of the nation are "burning, breaking, and dying" in Odisha and Manipur, while Modi remains silent. Gandhi called for answers and demanded safety and justice for India's daughters.

 

A 21-year-old second-year Integrated B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore self-immolated on the college premises on July 12. She alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint against her department head. The college principal allegedly asked her to withdraw the complaint.

 

The victim, who suffered 95 per cent burns, died from her injuries on Tuesday. Odisha police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case, arresting department head Samira Kumar Sahu and suspending Principal Dilip Ghose.

 

BJD leader and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described the student's death as an "institutional betrayal." He stated that the student had informed the college principal about the sexual harassment she had faced but was ignored. He added that she reached out to the higher education minister, the Chief Minister's Office, and even a Union minister, and met the Balasore MP to seek justice. Patnaik asserted that the girl's life could have been saved if even one person had intervened.

 

Patnaik further stated that the student lost her life due to the state government's negligence, which left her alone in her struggle. He asserted that the sequence of events revealed a "planned injustice" and nothing less than institutional betrayal.

 

The opposition has called for a statewide bandh in Odisha on July 17, condemning the incident and demanding the higher education minister's resignation.

 

India