TV
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday intensified its agitation over the FM College girl student self-immolation incident and the Balanga incident in which a minor girl was set on fire by miscreants recently.
The party staged demonstrations in front of the offices of the Revenue Divisional Commissioners' offices (RDCs) in Cuttack, Sambalpur, and Berhampur. The demonstrations began at 10 am, drawing significant participation from BJD leaders and workers, and will reportedly continue till 2 pm.
According to reports, in Berhampur, the protest rally started from the Khallikote College field. One of the BJD workers said, “We have staged this rally to demand justice for the FM College student who died due to attempted self-immolation and the victim who was set on fire in the Balanga area in Puri district. The government is not taking suitable actions, and all the perpetrators in the FM College incident have not been arrested yet. Women are not safe in Odisha as the government is releasing the guilty ones after arrest.”
Judicial Probe Demanded
At the heart of the protest was the BJD’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the FM College incident, as the party argued that the ongoing Crime Branch probe is not adequate. The BJD maintains that the scale and seriousness of the incident warranted deeper scrutiny and stronger punitive measures. The Balanga incident too was raised alongside, with the party questioning the state of women’s safety under the current administration.
Memorandum Submitted In Sambalpur
In Sambalpur, several prominent BJD leaders participated in the protest. A memorandum demanding justice for both the FM College and Balanga victims was submitted to the RDC office.
Government Defends Its Response
Reacting to the BJD protests, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra accused the BJD of politicising the incidents. He further said, “CM Mohan Majhi government took immediate action in both incidents and launched investigations. But despite these, if someone is unhappy with the proceedings and decides to stage a protest, then it is within their rights to do so.”
