Congress leader Pawan Khera has strongly condemned the Odisha government over a young woman’s attempt to immolate herself after allegedly facing relentless sexual harassment by her college Head of Department.
Describing the incident as not only an institutional apathy but also a case of criminal complicity, Khera demanded that “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”.
“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,” Khera said in a post on handle X.
“‘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.
Khera questioned the effectiveness of the government’s initiatives aimed at protecting women, highlighting the plight of women in India who feel unsafe due to the ruling party’s alleged tendency to shield the accused. He asked, “Is this the India we want to build for our women?”