Latest news with #FakirMohan(Autonomous)College
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Odisha: Rahul Gandhi speaks to father of Balasore immolation victim, calls incident a wound to society
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday spoke with the father of the 20-year-old college student from Balasore, Odisha , who died two days after attempting self-immolation following alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint. In a post on X, RAhul Gandhi expressed solidarity with the grieving family. 'Spoke to the father of the brave daughter who lost her life fighting for justice in Balasore, Odisha. In his voice, I could feel her pain, her dreams, and her struggle,' he wrote. 'I assured him that the Congress party and I stand with him at every step. What happened is not just inhuman and shameful, but a wound to the entire society. We will ensure the victim's family gets full justice.' The victim, a second-year student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, had accused her department's head of sexual harassment. She had been protesting since early July but reportedly received no support from the college authorities. On July 12, she set herself on fire outside the college gate. She was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar with 95 percent burns and died on July 14. The incident has triggered widespread outrage across the state and the country, with multiple political parties attacking the BJP-led Odisha government. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 4BHK+Family Lounge+Utility room at 4.49Cr (All Incl)* ATS Triumph, Gurgaon Book Now Undo Gandhi had earlier described the death as an 'organized murder by the system.' He had said, 'That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment — but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her. This is not suicide; it is an organized murder by the system.' Former Odisha chief minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik also criticised the state government. 'It is disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping. Struggling for justice, the girl ultimately closed her eyes,' he posted on X. Patnaik also urged the governor to take strict action against both the college authorities and the government. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan hit back at the Congress, calling Gandhi's remarks an example of 'petty politics.' 'The cheap politics by Rahul Gandhi and Congress on the tragic incident involving Odisha's daughter is extremely unfortunate. Turning a serious and sensitive matter into a political weapon reflects Rahul Gandhi's petty mindset. The Odisha government stands with the victim's family with full sensitivity, and the strictest action will be taken against the culprits; no one will be spared,' he said. According to earlier reports, the student had submitted a written complaint to the college principal against the accused professor. She also uploaded the complaint on social media, tagging student leaders and government officials. Despite repeated efforts, no action was taken until her self-immolation attempt. The head of department and the college principal have since been suspended and arrested. The state government has promised a judicial inquiry and directed all colleges and universities to strengthen safety mechanisms, including CCTV monitoring and internal squads. However, opposition leaders continue to demand accountability from the higher education minister and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Protests across Odisha are ongoing, with students, women's groups, and political activists demanding swift and visible justice for the victim. The incident has reignited debate over women's safety on campuses and the failure of institutions to act in time, despite repeated warnings.
The Hindu
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
'Cheap politics': Pradhan attacks Rahul over comments on Odisha student's death
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of indulging in "cheap politics" over the death of the college student in Odisha's Balasore district. Mr. Pradhan claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have always taken concrete steps for women's safety and justice, while the Congress has consistently sought opportunities in every tragedy. The statement came after Mr. Gandhi said the country was seeking answers and not the PM's "silence" over the incident. "The cheap politics played by Rahul Gandhi and Congress on the tragic incident involving Odisha's daughter is extremely unfortunate. Turning a serious and sensitive matter into a political weapon reflects @RahulGandhi's petty mindset," Mr. Pradhan posted on X. "The incident in Odisha has shaken the entire nation, but Congress has seized this opportunity to bake its political bread," he said. Mr. Pradhan said the BJP government in Odisha stands with the victim's family, and the strictest action will be taken against the culprits. "However, this is not the time for cheap politics but for ensuring justice for the victim's family. Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to the victim's family for his irresponsible statement," he said. The second-year student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday (July 14, 2025) night after fighting for her life for three days. She had set herself on fire on the campus on Saturday (July 12, 2025) over alleged inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her. In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi alleged the death of a daughter fighting for justice is a "direct murder by the BJP system". That brave student raised her voice against sexual exploitation, but instead of justice, she was threatened, harassed and humiliated repeatedly, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged. ओडिशा में इंसाफ़ के लिए लड़ती एक बेटी की मौत, सीधे-सीधे BJP के सिस्टम द्वारा की गई हत्या है। उस बहादुर छात्रा ने यौन शोषण के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठाई - लेकिन न्याय देने के बजाय, उसे धमकाया गया, प्रताड़ित किया गया, बार-बार अपमानित किया गया। जिन्हें उसकी रक्षा करनी थी, वही उसे तोड़ते… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 15, 2025 Those who were supposed to protect her kept oppressing her, Mr. Gandhi said. "Like every time, the BJP system kept protecting the accused - and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire," he said. "This is not suicide, it is an organised murder by the system," Mr. Gandhi alleged. "Modi ji, be it Odisha or Manipur - the daughters of the country are burning, breaking down, dying. And you? Are sitting silent. The country does not want your silence, it wants answers," the former Congress president said.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Institutional betrayal: Naveen Patnaik tears into BJP over Odisha student's death
Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday accused the BJP-led state government of 'institutional betrayal' and 'planned injustice' following the death of a college student who self-immolated after alleged sexual harassment and weeks of seeking help from 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died on Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, three days after she set herself ablaze on campus. The student had earlier accused her department head of repeated sexual harassment and filed complaints with college officials and police. However, no action was reportedly taken against the a strongly worded statement posted on social media, Patnaik squarely blamed the BJP for systemic failures that he claimed resulted in the student's death. He detailed how she went from pillar to post seeking justice, only to be let down. 'It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life,' he said. 'The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping.'The former Chief Minister stated that the student's death was not just a result of physical injury, but also the cumulative weight of official apathy."She did not lose her life solely due to physical trauma but also because of the negligence of the state government, which left her alone in her struggle," he said. Calling the tragedy 'nothing less than institutional betrayal,' Patnaik called for accountability at the highest levels – from the perpetrators to those who were complicit in the student's plight by to their GIRL MURDERED BY BJP SYSTEM: RAHUL GANDHICongress MP Rahul Gandhi also assailed the Mohan Charan Majhi government, calling the college girl's death 'an organised murder by the system.'Taking to X, Gandhi wrote, 'The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP's system,' Gandhi, the, said in an X post. 'That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment — but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her.'He accused the ruling BJP of shielding the accused and turning a blind eye to justice. "This is not suicide; it is an organised murder by the system."The Gandhi scion also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was high time for him to break his 'silence' and fix accountability. 'Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur — the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent,' Gandhi said. 'The country doesn't need your silence; it needs answers. India's daughters need safety and justice.''CHEAP POLITICS'advertisementPushing back against the attacks on the BJP government in Odisha, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi of latching on to a sensitive tragedy for political gains."The cheap politics played by Rahul Gandhi and Congress over the tragic incident involving Odisha's daughter is extremely unfortunate," Pradhan tweeted. "Turning a serious and sensitive matter into a political weapon reflects Rahul Gandhi's petty mindset."He defended the BJP's record on women's safety and justice, and lambasted the Congress for "consistently seeking opportunities in every tragedy".The senior BJP leader added that the Odisha government was responding to the case with full sensitivity and pledged action. 'The strictest action will be taken against the culprits; no one will be spared.'Calling for restraint, he said Gandhi should apologise to the victim's family for his 'irresponsible' to students and officials, the woman had been mentally distressed for weeks, allegedly due to repeated inappropriate advances and threats from Sameer Kumar Sahoo, Head of the Integrated Department. Batchmates said she had filed formal complaints with both the college principal and local internal committee was eventually formed but reportedly made little progress. The woman reportedly met the principal again on Saturday, shortly before she set herself on fire. She was initially admitted to Balasore district hospital and later shifted to AIIMS incident has sparked outrage, with student groups and opposition parties demanding swift justice and an impartial probe into the alleged inaction by college authorities and the police.- Ends
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha student who self-immolated over harassment inaction cremated; congress-led opposition calls bandh on 17th
NEW DELHI: The body of the college student who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor reached her village in Odisha's Balasore district on Tuesday. The student's body was cremated in the presence of her family and other villagers. Thousands of people thronged the crematorium ground to attend her cremation. Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, district officials and others walked to the crematorium ground from the house of the student. The 20-year-old second-year B. Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore had accused the Head of Education Department, Samira Kumar Sahu of sexually harassing her. She set herself on fire on Saturday on the college campus over alleged inaction against the professor and suffered 95 per cent burns. The woman was first admitted to the Balasore district hospital and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the student. Majhi directed officers concerned to conduct a proper investigation into the incident so that all guilty are punished in accordance with the law, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Condemning the Odisha BJP government, eight opposition parties, led by the Congress, called an Odisha bandh on July 17 to protest the death of the student. 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 BJP.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha college student's body cremated; Rahul slams 'systemic murder', congress led- opposition calls bandh on 17th
NEW DELHI: The body of the college student who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor reached her village in Odisha's Balasore district on Tuesday. The student's body was cremated in the presence of her family and other villagers. Thousands of people thronged the crematorium ground to attend her cremation. Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi, district officials and others walked to the crematorium ground from the house of the student. The 20-year-old second-year B. Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore had accused the Head of Education Department, Samira Kumar Sahu of sexually harassing her. She set herself on fire on Saturday on the college campus over alleged inaction against the professor and suffered 95 per cent burns. The woman was first admitted to the Balasore district hospital and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the student. Majhi directed officers concerned to conduct a proper investigation into the incident so that all guilty are punished in accordance with the law, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Condemning the Odisha BJP government, eight opposition parties, led by the Congress, called an Odisha bandh on July 17 to protest the death of the student. 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 BJP.
