New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday termed as a “national tragedy” a woman student of a college in Odisha’s Balasore district allegedly setting herself on fire over alleged sexual harassment, and said women across India feel unsafe especially because of the ruling party’s tendency to stand with the accused instead of the victim.
A woman student of a college in Odisha’s Balasore district, who had lodged a sexual harassment complaint against a teacher, on Saturday allegedly set herself on fire on the institute’s campus and sustained 90 per cent burn injuries, police said.
Another male student, who attempted to save her, also suffered injuries, and both were rushed to the district headquarters hospital here.
Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said it is a “national tragedy” that a young woman in Odisha was forced to set herself on fire after facing relentless sexual harassment by her college’s Head of the Department.
“She pleaded for help – informally to the Principal, formally to the Internal Complaints Committee, and publicly to the CM and Education Minister on social media. Yet, her complaints went unheard,” Khera said on X.
A BJP MP had demanded the HoD’s suspension, but even he was brushed aside by the college principal, the Congress leader claimed.
“As such, it is safe to call the Double Engine Sarkar a cruel joke. Because it does not even empower a local MP from the ruling party enough to prevail over a college Principal in a matter so crucial and sensitive,” he said.
“This is institutional apathy, but even more, it is criminal complicity. The culprit, HoD, must face the law for driving a woman to self-immolation, but the Principal and the ICC must also be held accountable – not merely for negligence, but for abetment,” Khera said.
Notably, the victim was an ABVP office bearer in a BJP-ruled state, he said.
If this is the fate of their own, what can ordinary women — with no access to networks of power — in Odisha, and beyond, possibly expect, he asked.
“Let this be a wake-up call for all Modi bhakts. ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ is only a media spectacle. In their daily lives, women across India feel unsafe – especially because of the ruling party’s tendency to stand with the accused instead of the victim, to shield the rapists instead of the raped,” Khera said.
“We must, therefore, ask ourselves: Is this the India we want to build for our women?” he said.
Later, the victim was referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. A 12-member doctors’ team has been formed to take care of the injured woman student, police said.
The incident took place Saturday afternoon after the woman student met the principal of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, Dilip Kumar Ghose.
She had earlier lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Samira Kumar Sahu, Assistant Professor (Stage-l I) in Educational Studies, who is also the head of the department, and demanded action against him.
Taking a serious note of the self-immolation attempt by the woman student, the Odisha government placed the college principal under suspension.
Officials said that the woman was a second-year student of the Integrated B.Ed programme in the college. She had also staged a protest on the college campus for one week, demanding action against the teacher.
