TV
The Opposition BJD and Congress on Sunday staged intense protests in Bhubaneswar over the attempted self-immolation by a girl student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, and gheraoed the residence of the State Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, in Bhubaneswar.
Also Read: Odisha student's self-immolation case: Youths should refrain from taking any step hastily, says FM University VC
According to sources, tension escalated in the State Capital after members of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal and Chhatra Congress (students’ wings of the BJD and the Congress) gheraoed the residence of the Higher Education Minister, demanding immediate justice and accountability in the wake of the Balasore incident.
“A girl student was harassed by some of her faculty and as she could not tolerate it, she immolated herself for the sake of her self-respect. She had approached her college Principal, the local SP (Superintendent of Police) and MP (Member of Parliament) seeking justice, but to no avail. After they failed to give her justice, she self-immolated,” Congress leader Yasir Nawaz alleged, asking, “Is there anything else more shameful than this?”
“They (the BJP-led government) could not give justice to a girl, but have come to stop us. She was from ABVP, their own party. They are beating the drums of their ideology. We will keep fighting till our last breath,” BJD’s Ipsita Sahoo said.
Protesters raised slogans and tried to breach the barricades, leading to scuffles with police personnel. During confrontation, several agitators were detained and forcefully removed by police. The situation grew chaotic as protesters resisted being taken into custody.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Babu Singh condemned the incident but criticised both rival student bodies for politicising the sensitive issue. “This is not the time for political gamesmanship,” he remarked, urging calm and a thorough investigation instead.
The political temperature in Odisha’s student circles continues to rise, with the FM College incident triggering a wider debate on campus safety and political exploitation.
