Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the college student who died by setting herself on fire over alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint.
The issue has once again eaxosed BJP’s tall claims of Double engine governance. The Godi media expectedly chose to downplay the issue.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the student’s death, and said the daughters of the country are burning and dying while the PM is sitting silent.
Gandhi said the country does not want the PM’s silence, it wants answers.
Eight opposition parties, led by the Congress, also called an Odisha bandh on July 17.
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das said the bandh is being supported by eight parties, including the Left.
He claimed the incident, which happened at the Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore, showed that the state government has failed to protect women.
“She brought petrol, and everyone watched silently. No one acted,” he said, attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Das said the bandh has been called to seek justice for the deceased student.
The second-year B.Ed student died on Monday night at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar after fighting for her life for three days.
She set herself on fire on the campus on Saturday over alleged inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her. She had suffered 95 per cent burns.
The principal and the HoD of the Education Department of the college have been arrested in the case.
Former CM Naveen atnaik reacted to the incident in a post on X
A young student resorting to self-immolation in one of #Odisha’s premier Universities is both shocking and deeply distressing. I fervently pray to Lord Jagannatha for her swift recovery from the grievous burn injuries.
She was allegedly subjected to relentless sexual harassment…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 13, 2025
