Ajay Kumar Lallu, Others Detained During Odisha Bandh Over Balasore Death

Police on Thursday detained several opposition leaders and workers, including State Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu, during the Odisha Bandh called to protest the death of a college student in Balasore who recently succumbed in hospital to injuries sustained after setting herself on fire last week.

Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu accused the state government of trying to deny justice to the college student. Alleging that the government was using force to stop protests, he stated that the Congress would not be afraid.

“The State government does not want to give justice to the victim and has resorted to hooliganism….We will not be intimidated and will continue to raise our voice against the state government. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha CM will have to resign,” the Congress leader said.

Congress workers also blocked railway tracks in Balasore as part of the protest against the State government.

Transport services were hit and shops remained shut in Bhubaneswar on Thursday as several opposition parties observed an Odisha bandh.

A man who was waiting to board a bus in Bhubaneswar stated that people are facing transportation issues due to the State bandh, but added that the protest is necessary when the administration fails to act.

Speaking to ANI, the man who said his name was Ayush said, “… We are not able to book cabs or autos and are facing challenges in transportation…I support the Odisha bandh because if the administration does not work, protest is the only option…”

Security forces were deployed, and petrol pumps remained closed in Odisha’s capital city as several opposition parties observed the state bandh.

The bandh also caused long traffic jams on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway, where trucks and other vehicles were left stranded. Bus services were impacted in different parts of the state.

On Tuesday, eight Opposition political parties, including the Congress, unitedly called for ‘Odisha Bandh’ for today. They are demanding the resignation of the State Higher Education Minister and a judicial investigation in the demise of the student.

The 20-year-old student had allegedly faced prolonged sexual harassment by the Head of Department (HoD) at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore. Despite filing a formal complaint and seeking help from the college principal, her grievances reportedly went unheard, leading her to take the extreme step on campus on July 12.

She was initially admitted to the Balasore district hospital and later referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, where she succumbed to her burn injuries on July 14, hospital authorities said.

In connection with the case, Fakir Mohan College’s HoD, Samira Kumar Sahu, and Principal, Dilip Ghose, have been arrested. (ANI)