Bhubaneswar erupts in protest over student suicide

A massive protest led by the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday turned violent after police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators demanding justice for an undergraduate female student who died by self-immolation on the campus of the state-run FM College in Balasore. Several BJD workers, including senior leaders, sustained injuries during the police action.

The INDIA bloc, led by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, has called for a statewide bandh on Thursday, demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister. Meanwhile, Balasore observed a near-total shutdown during the eight-hour bandh called by the BJD.

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The situation escalated when BJD workers attempted to breach bamboo barricades set up to prevent them from marching to the State Secretariat. In response, police deployed water cannons and later fired tear gas canisters, resulting in a stampede-like situation.

Several senior BJD leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo and former ministers Pranab Prakash Das and Pritiranjan Ghadei, were injured and rushed to the hospital. While protesters alleged the use of rubber bullets, police denied the claim, stating that only water cannons and tear gas were used to manage the crowd, which had turned unruly and damaged barricades. Policemen on duty were also reportedly injured.

“This was a clear case of police atrocity unleashed at the behest of the BJP-led government,” alleged BJD Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra. “The protest was peaceful and democratic, but rubber bullets were fired to crush our constitutional right to dissent and deny justice to the deceased student,” he claimed.

He further asserted that the party would not bow down to the “barbaric” police action and would intensify its agitation until justice is delivered to the bereaved family.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly condemned the use of force. “The right to democratic protest is under grave threat in Odisha,” he stated in a post on X.

Patnaik emphasized that BJD’s peaceful march towards Lok Seva Bhawan was met with unprovoked police aggression. “Shockingly, rubber bullets were fired at peaceful protesters. This heavy-handed response is unjustified and blatantly partisan,” he added.

“The legs of two former ministers are broken and may require surgery. A female Rajya Sabha member and several senior party workers were also seriously injured,” Patnaik noted, demanding accountability from the government.

Reaffirming the party’s resolve, Patnaik concluded, “The BJD will not be deterred. Neither water cannons nor rubber bullets can weaken our determination to seek justice for the FM College student who lost her life in such a tragic and unjust manner.”