BJP, BJD trade barbs over student's death

Opposition BJD and ruling BJP Thursday traded barbs over the 20-year-old college student's death by self-immolation over alleged sexual harassment by a teacher.

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While the saffron party accused the Opposition of disturbing the deceased's family, the BJD alleged that the authorities did not do anything when the student was running from pillar to post with her complaint.

The second-year BEd student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus July 12 over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.

While the state was mourning the death of the student, “Congress leaders from Delhi” are unnecessarily creating disturbances in Odisha, Bhubaneswar MP and BJP's national spokesperson Aparajita Sarangi told a press conference.

She was referring to Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba and the party's Odisha-in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Sarangi also targeted Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, the BJD president.