Odisha Bandh Called On July 17 Over Balasore Student death Case, Congress and Other Parties to Join

BHUBANESWAR:Eight opposition parties, led by Congress, have called for an Odisha bandh on July 17 to protest the death of a college student who set herself on fire, after failing to get justice in a case of alleged "sexual harassment.

Congress state unit president Bhakta Charan Das said the bandh has the support of eight parties, including Left parties.

He claimed that the incident at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore highlights the state government's failure to ensure women's safety.

Attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Das said, "She (the student) came with petrol, and everyone just watched silently. No one took any action."

She was a second-year student of the integrated BEd course at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore.

“Distraught over the lack of concrete action against the accused teacher, she took the extreme step on Saturday and suffered 95 percent burns”,Das said.

Meanwhile,the principal of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Dilip Ghosh, and the head of the education department, Samir Kumar Sahu, have been arrested,according to police.