Congress seeks Odisha CM’s resignation over college student’s death, imposition of President’s Rule

Demanding the resignation of Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi over the death of a female college student in Balasore district, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba on 16 July, Wednesday, said President's Rule must be imposed in the state as it was done in Manipur.

The second-year BEd student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night, 14 July. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on 12 July over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.

Lamba alleged that the student died due to the failure of the system in Odisha.

"Since the chief minister is the head of the system, he should resign and President's Rule should be imposed in the state," she said here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself earlier demanded imposition of President's Rule in Rajasthan, alleging women and girls were not safe there, she claimed.

Lamba said the Congress-led opposition had pressed for the imposition of President's Rule in ethnic strife-torn Manipur and will demand the same for Odisha during the upcoming Lok Sabha session.

She claimed that the chief minister has no experience in running the government and has "failed" to perform in the one year in office.

"The CM has put up big posters of him with PM Modi across the state. But the reality is that entire Odisha is moving towards destruction and no woman or girl is safe in the state," Lamba alleged.

She claimed that the victim was associated with the ABVP, the students' wing of the RSS.

"At least the PM should have posted a tweet in Odia, paying tributes to the victim and offering condolences to her family," Lamba said.

The Congress will continue the fight for the safety of the state's women, she added.

Meanwhile, Youth Congress members, led by its state president Ranjit Patra, organised a protest march to gherao the chief minister’s official residence here, demanding resignation of Majhi and higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj as they "failed" to provide justice to the student.

“As the chief minister is in deep sleep, we have come here to wake him up and provide justice to the student,” said a Youth Congress leader.

Holding the chief minister and the higher education minister responsible for the death of the student, Patra demanded their resignation.

“She pleaded before all authorities to get justice but the government did not pay any heed to it. Finally, she was forced to die by self-immolation,” he alleged.

The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the Congress' student wing, demonstrated in Jeypore in Koraput district, while All India Students' Federation (AISF) led by state president Sanghamitra Jena held a protest march here over the death of the Balasore student.

About Thursday's bandh call, senior Congress leader Jaydev Jena said it will be observed in a peaceful manner across the state from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Eight political outfits, including the CPI, CPI(ML), RJD, SP, All India Forward Bloc and NCP, have extended their support for the bandh call from the Congress.

Jena appealed to all people of Odisha to support the bandh to provide justice to the deceased college student.