BJD, Congress seek meeting with President Murmu on Odisha student tragedy

Bhubaneswar, July 13 (IANS) Amid widespread outrage over the self-immolation attempt by a female student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, the opposition parties—Biju Janata Dal and Congress—have written separate letters to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking time to meet her during her two-day visit to Odisha starting Monday, to draw her attention to the shameful incident that has shaken the entire state.

Addressing a press meet here on Sunday, senior BJD leader Tukuni Sahu alleged that this is not an isolated incident, but during the past 13 months under the BJP government, the safety and security of women and students have deteriorated in the state. She further stated that, despite the regular occurrence of such shameful incidents, the state government appears to be sitting idle.

“In this context, as the President of India is coming to Odisha on a two-day visit, a delegation of BJD is willing to meet her and discuss the issue of deteriorated women safety in the state. Today, a request has been sent through email to meet the President,” said Sahu. The BJD also alleged that the state government’s role in the tragic incident involving the self-immolation attempt by Soumyashree Bisi, a B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, is under suspicion.

The victim had formally lodged a complaint with the college authorities and had also sought intervention from the Chief Minister, the Union Education Minister, and the State Higher Education Minister, pleading for justice, but to no avail.

The party alleged that the victim took the extreme step of setting herself on fire after failing to get justice.

The president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee Bhakta Charan Das also wrote a separate letter to President Murmu seeking time to meet her along with former presidents of the OPCC Niranjan Patnaik, Jaydev Jena, Prasad Harichandan, Sarat Patnaik and former union minister Srikanta Jena in order to submit a memorandum in connection with the self-immolation of the Soumyashree.

Das stated in his letter that after being subjected to severe sexual harassment by the HoD of that discipline, Samir Kumar Sahu, she moved from pillar to post, but nobody paid any heed to her predicament. “Such an insensible act on the part of the college authority, police administration and the political leadership in the district as well as the state is thoroughly condemnable,” said OPCC president.

He urged the President to spare just five minutes out of her busy schedule during the two-day visit to the state on July 14 and 15. “We call upon your esteemed self to kindly spare us five minutes only for submission of the said memorandum for which we'll be ever grateful to you,” Das requested.

--IANS

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