Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has fiercely criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha, labeling the death of a college student who set herself on fire as an “organised murder by the system.” The second-year B.Ed student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died on Monday night at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, three days after self-immolating on campus in protest against alleged inaction over sexual harassment by a professor.

In a scathing post on X, Gandhi alleged, “The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP’s system. That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment—but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated.” He accused the BJP of shielding the accused, forcing the student to take the extreme step of self-immolation. “Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her,” he added.

Gandhi rejected the notion of suicide, insisting it was a systemic failure that led to her death. He drew parallels with Manipur, stating, “Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur—the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent.” He demanded safety and justice for India’s women, urging accountability from the government.

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The student, who suffered 95% burns, had accused college authorities, including principal Dillip Ghosh, of failing to act on her complaints. The incident has sparked outrage, with opposition leaders demanding a thorough probe.

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