Several opposition parties in Odisha organized a statewide bandh on Thursday to protest against the death of a 20 -year -old student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, who died after attempting self -immolation.
Shops in many areas including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj remained closed and traffic was interrupted. The market remained closed in Bhadrak and public transport was affected.
The bandh led to a long jam on the Chennai-Kolkata highway, where trucks and other vehicles were stuck. Bus services were affected in various parts of the state.
Other opposition groups, including the Congress party and the All India Forward Block, led the bandh. He accused the state government of repeatedly focusing on the request of the student’s help.
The protesters demanded a proper inquiry into the matter and demanded strict measures to ensure the safety and justice of women in the state.
A day earlier, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) also came out on the streets and called for a ‘Balasore bandh’ against the Odisha government. The BJD chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had strongly criticized the state government and police for the use of alleged force on the BJD workers protesting in connection with the case.
On Tuesday, eight opposition parties, including the Congress, jointly called for a ‘Odisha bandh’ on July 17 and demanded the resignation of the state’s Higher Education Minister and a judicial inquiry into the matter.
The 20 -year -old student was allegedly sexually harassed by the Head of Department (HOD) of Balasore -based Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College. Despite filing a formal complaint and repeated help from the college principal, his concerns were not resolved, due to which he set himself on fire in the campus last Saturday.
According to hospital officials, he was first admitted to Balasore District Hospital and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where he died on Monday.
After the incident, the college head of the college, Sameera Kumar Sahu and Principal Dilip Ghosh, have been arrested in connection with the case.
