Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik on Monday strongly condemned the death of a Rajgangpur-based college student who succumbed to burn injuries after allegedly setting herself on fire due to prolonged harassment by a male friend.
The victim passed away in the early hours of Monday while undergoing treatment at IGH hospital in Rourkela.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Leader of Opposition accused the BJP government of “complete collapse of law and order” and demanded immediate strict action against the accused.
In a hard-hitting statement, the BJD President said:“The tragic death of a college girl in Lanjiberna under Rajgangpur police limits is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to the grieving family and prayers for the departed soul. Despite the family repeatedly informing the police about life threats, the government’s shocking inaction has led to this irreparable loss. How many more innocent daughters of Odisha must die before this government wakes up? Criminal elements are being emboldened due to political patronage and administrative indifference. Women are feeling increasingly unsafe, while criminals roam freely. Whose safety is this government actually ensuring?
This is the fifth such horrifying incident in just six months — Balasore, Puri, Kendrapara, Bargarh, and now Rajgangpur.
Naveen urged the Mohan Majhi-led government to take decisive steps to prevent recurrence of such tragedies and ensure perpetrators are brought to book without delay.