Workers of the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha clashed with the police on Wednesday as they tried to gherao the Lok Seva Bhawan seeking justice for a Balasore college student, who succumbed to injuries after setting herself on fire. The girl had taken the extreme step after her complaint alleging harassment by a professor was ignored.
Tension escalated when the police blocked BJD workers, who were marching towards the Lok Seva Bhawan, the highest seat of power in the state, after breaching security barricades.
Several senior BJD leaders, including former ministers Pranab Prakash Das, Pritiranjan Gharei and Rajya Sabha member Sulata Deo, sustained injuries as police fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse the protesters. BJD sources said the injured are currently being treated at various hospitals.
BJD leaders alleged the college student, who had flagged the issue with the institution and the police, could have been saved had the government intervened in the matter when she tried to reach out to the party’s leadership, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the state’s higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
“It’s just the beginning of the protest in the state capital. We want to warn the government that it will be intensified and spread across the state. They cannot silence our voice by using police force. We will continue to protest against the BJP government until they order a judicial probe and the education minister and chief minister resign,” senior BJD leader Sanjay Dasburma said.
Police personnel stand guard as mortal remains of the college student, who set herself ablaze, was cremated. (Photo: PTI)
Senior BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo said the protest reflected the anger of the people against the state government, which has failed to protect women.
Before the protest, police had made elaborate security arrangements by erecting barricades on routes leading to Lok Seva Bhawan. Officials said several hundred BJD leaders and workers were detained for violating “prohibitory orders”.
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The BJD has also been observing an eight-hour bandh from 6 am till 2 pm in the Balasore district.
While traffic came to a standstill on major routes, including the Chennai-Howrah NH-16 in Balasore, commercial establishments, major markets, and educational institutes remained closed. Railway services have also been affected due to the shutdown, with BJD workers seen protesting on the tracks in several places.
