Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs staged a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Tuesday, condemning the BJP-led Odisha government for its alleged failure to curb a surge in crimes against women and children. Holding placards reading ‘Mahilaon ki cheekh aur sarkar ki khamoshi’ (the cries of women and the silence of the government) and ‘Odisha BJP ka shaasan, apradhiyo ki shaan’ (BJP’s rule in Odisha, a pride for criminals), the MPs demanded central intervention and a judicial inquiry into recent “horrific” incidents.

Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra highlighted two cases: the self-immolation death of a 20-year-old FM College student in Balasore on July 14, who sought justice for prolonged sexual harassment but was ignored by authorities, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and the July 19 attack in Balanga, Puri, where a 15-year-old girl was set ablaze and is battling for life at AIIMS Delhi. “Women and children are completely unprotected. The law and order situation is collapsing,” Patra told PTI Videos, accusing the BJP of “double standards” and inaction despite filing FIRs.

BJD MP Muzibulla Khan criticized the BJP’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ slogan, stating it has failed to protect daughters, while Subhasish Khuntia called the crime wave “unabated” under the “double engine government.” BJD’s demands echo earlier protests on July 21 at RDC offices in Cuttack, Berhampur, and Sambalpur, where leaders like Debi Prasad Mishra cited 3,054 rape cases in 2024, up 8% from 2023, per Odisha’s White Paper.

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The protests, backed by former CM Naveen Patnaik, follow a US travel advisory and Supreme Court remarks calling the Puri case “shameful.” BJD’s push for a court-monitored probe by a sitting Orissa High Court judge reflects distrust in the state’s Crime Branch inquiry, amid claims of systemic failures involving police, ministers, and college authorities.

Also Read: Odisha Student death: BJD Demands Judicial Probe into Tragic Self-Immolation Death