A 20-year-old college student in Odisha died on Wednesday after setting herself on fire in protest against the inaction of her college principal and internal committees regarding a sexual harassment complaint she had filed against a professor.
The tragic incident occurred at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, where the student had attempted self-immolation on Monday. Her death has sparked massive political unrest and public outcry across the state.
#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Police use water cannon to disperse BJD workers protesting over Balasore student's death by self-immolation.
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025
Biju Janata Dal is also observing a Balasore bandh in protest over a Balasore student's death by self-immolation. pic.twitter.com/jDKQZzCbbq
In response, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) organized large-scale protests in Bhubaneswar and called for a Balasore Bandh on Wednesday. Odisha Police used water cannons to disperse BJD workers protesting the state government’s lack of response to the student’s allegations and subsequent death.
The bandh, which began at 6 AM, was scheduled to continue until 2 PM.
“People are very angry over the denial of justice to the student who ultimately set herself on fire and died,” said BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra.
“The party will continue the agitation across the state till the BJP government announces a judicial probe into the incident,” he added further.
Opposition Unites Over Outrage
The incident has led to a rare moment of unity between opposition parties in Odisha. Both the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal have come together to demand justice for the deceased student.
The Congress party held a candlelight vigil in Balasore on Wednesday to mourn the student’s death and protest the alleged inaction by authorities.
“A brave girl fought against injustice. She appealed for justice to the Union Minister, Chief Minister, SP, Collector, but still no one heard her grievances… How did she set herself on fire? There are huge questions that are left unanswered…”
— Odisha State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das told ANI.
Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also expressed his support for the victim’s family.
“Spoke with the father of the brave daughter who lost her life in the fight for justice in Balasore, Odisha. In his voice, I felt his daughter’s pain, dreams, and struggle. Assured him that the Congress Party and I stand with them at every step. What happened is not only inhuman and shameful but a wound to the entire society,” Gandhi wrote on X.
Meanwhile, BJD protestors continued to demand immediate action, burning tyres on roads and calling for the resignation of Odisha’s Higher Education Minister and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The incident has triggered demands for a judicial probe, ministerial resignations, and stricter oversight of sexual harassment redressal mechanisms on college campuses.