Bhubaneswar: As a 20-year-old college student fights for her life in AIIMS Bhubaneswar following a self-immolation bid over an alleged incident of ‘sexual harassment’, political tensions in Odisha have reached a boiling point, with opposition parties staging demonstrations and holding press conferences.
Alleging that women are not safe in BJP-ruled Odisha, both the opposition BJD and Congress held multiple demonstrations in Bhubaneswar and Balasore.
Odisha Mahila Congress president Meenakshi Bahinipati, along with party MLA Sofia Firdous, held a press conference in Delhi to highlight the issue of women’s safety at the national level.
In Odisha, Congress Legislature Party leader Rama Chandra Kadam, along with former Union minister Srikant Jena and others held a press conference here demanding a judicial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the second-year integrated B.Ed woman student allegedly being denied justice and subsequently attempting suicide by setting herself on fire.
“We have been raising the issue of women safety since a long time. See what is happening in the state. Girls are not safe on campus,” Kadam said.
A fact-finding team of the Congress rushed to Balasore and met students and other stakeholders and inquired about the situation.
The BJD also staged a demonstration near Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore and burnt effigies of chief minister, higher education minister and Balasore MP.
The agitators also demanded strict action against all the culprits.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar and met the parents and family members of the victim.
“At Balasore Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, a student involved in an incident is undergoing treatment at Bhubaneswar AIIMS Hospital. I met her parents and discussed her health condition with AIIMS authorities. I pray to the Almighty that she recovers quickly and returns home,” Pradhan said in a X post.
On the demand of opposition parties, Pradhan said, “For us, priority is the girl’s health. We are not doing politics over such an unfortunate incident. Let them (opposition) do politics. I have confidence on the state government that stringent action will be taken in this matter. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has himself visited hospital and met the parents of the girl.”
Pradhan expressed concern over the degradation of ‘Guru-Sishya’ tradition in a state like Odisha.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida came down heavily on opposition leaders and accused them of politicising the matter.
Stating that the state government has taken prompt and strict action, Parida said CM Majhi has visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar to enquire about the health condition of the victim.
“The Congress spokesperson, who criticised the Odisha government in this case in Delhi today, is probably not aware of the party’s dark history regarding atrocities against women. The Odisha government will neither be soft on any accused nor will it give anyone a chance to escape. Congress should stop making wild allegations,” Parida said.
With President Droupadi Murmu on a two-day tour to the state, both BJD and Congress delegations are preparing to meet and apprise her about the prevailing situation.
Addressing a press conference here, Odisha BJP vice-president Biranchi Narayan Tripathy alleged that there is evidence on social media indicating that student Congress activists instigated the 20-year-old woman to attempt suicide.
“While the Congress indulged in dirty politics, the BJP government in Odisha is dedicated to empowerment and welfare of women,” Tripathy asserted.
PTI
