Balasore campus horror: Odisha Police use water cannons as BJD protests student’s self-immolation death

Police use water cannon to disperse BJD workers protesting over Balasore student's death.

Odisha Police used water cannons on Wednesday to break up a massive protest by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers in Bhubaneswar, as tensions flared over the death of a 20-year-old student who died after setting herself on fire.

The young woman, a student at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, succumbed to her injuries on Monday following allegations of inaction by college authorities on her sexual harassment complaint against a professor.

The BJD has called for a Balasore Bandh (shutdown) in response, which began at 6 am and is set to continue until 2 PM. HT reports that protesters burnt tyres and blocked roads, demanding action from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the resignation of both the state’s higher education minister and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Police use water cannon to disperse BJD workers protesting over Balasore student's death by self-immolation.

Biju Janata Dal is also observing a Balasore bandh in protest over a Balasore student's death by self-immolation. pic.twitter.com/jDKQZzCbbq — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025

BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra was quoted by HT as saying, "People are very angry over the denial of justice to the student who ultimately set herself on fire and died." He added that the party would continue statewide protests until the BJP-led government orders a judicial inquiry.

Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the Congress and BJD, have united in their condemnation. The Congress held a candlelight vigil in Balasore, with Odisha State Congress President Bhakta Charan Das questioning the administration’s failure to act. "A brave girl fought against injustice... How did she set herself on fire? There are huge questions left unanswered," he said, as quoted by ANI.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed solidarity with the victim’s family, posting on X (formerly Twitter): "Spoke with the father of the brave daughter who lost her life in the fight for justice... Assured him that the Congress Party and I stand with them at every step."

The student’s death has triggered widespread outrage, with protesters accusing authorities of ignoring her repeated pleas for justice. The case has now become a flashpoint in Odisha’s political landscape, with both ruling and opposition parties under pressure to respond.