The tragic death of Odisha student who set herself on fire over alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaints against a professor has snowballed into a political slugfest. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan traded charges on Tuesday on what led to the unfortunate incident and how it is allegedly being used for political gains.
Rahul Gandhi blamed the death on “BJP’s system” which, he said, “continued to shield the accused”. Dharmendra Pradhan, in response, accused Gandhi of using the incident to play “cheap politics”.
Also read: Odisha student dies after self-immolation. Why did she take the extreme step?
The 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha’s Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation, succumbed to her injuries late Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Also read: 'Odisha bandh' call over student’s self-immolation as Opposition unites in protest
She took the extreme step after the college administration allegedly ignored her complaints against a professor whom she said sexually assaulted her.
What Rahul Gandhi said
{{/usCountry}}She took the extreme step after the college administration allegedly ignored her complaints against a professor whom she said sexually assaulted her.
What Rahul Gandhi said
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Gandhi held the Bharatiya Janata Party, who is in power in Odisha, responsible for the incident and called it “a murder by the BJP's system.”
“The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP's system. That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment - but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her,” he wrote in a post on X.
He said that it was not “suicide” but an “organized murder by the system” and accused BJP of shielding the accused. “As always, the BJP's system continued to shield the accused - and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire. This is not suicide; it is an organized murder by the system,” he wrote.
Drawing PM Modi’s attention towards the matter, he added, “Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur - the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent. The country doesn't need your silence; it needs answers. India's daughters need safety and justice.”
Dharmendra Pradhan’s retort
Dharmendra Pradhan called out Gandhi for allegedly using the tragic incident to play “politics” and said that it reflects his “petty mindset”.
“The cheap politics played by Rahul Gandhi and Congress on the tragic incident involving Odisha’s daughter is extremely unfortunate. Turning a serious and sensitive matter into a political weapon reflects @RahulGandhi’s petty mindset. The incident in Odisha has shaken the entire nation, but Congress has seized this opportunity to bake its political bread,” Pradhan wrote on X.
Defending his party, Pradhan said that PM Modi and the BJP have always stood for women and taken steps for their safety. He added that the Odisha government “stands with the victim’s family with full sensitivity”.
“Prime Minister Modi ji and the BJP have always taken concrete steps for women’s safety and justice, while Congress has consistently sought opportunities in every tragedy. On this incident, the Odisha government stands with the victim’s family with full sensitivity, and the strictest action will be taken against the culprits; no one will be spared,” he wrote.
Adding that it is not the time for politics but for ensuring justice, Pradhan asked Gandhi to apologise to the victim’s family for his “irresponsible statement”.