BJD's Balasore bandh over college student's death affects lives

Markets were shut, schools and colleges were closed, and vehicles largely remained off the roads as a bandh, called by the opposition BJD, was underway in Odisha's Balasore district over the death of a college student.

The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night after fighting for her life for three days.

She had set herself on fire on the campus on Saturday over alleged inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.

The bandh began at 6 am and would continue till 2 pm.

Armed with party flags, hundreds of BJD members blocked major roads of the district by burning tyres.

The traffic on the national highway passing through the district is also being regulated in view of the protests, police said.

Apart from Balasore town, BJD workers were holding demonstrations in places like Jaleswar, Basta, Soro, Baliapal and Bhograi since morning.

"People are very angry over the denial of justice to the student who ultimately set herself on fire and died," said BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra.

"The party will continue the agitation across the state till the BJP government announces a judicial probe into the incident," he said.

The protestors were also demanding the resignation of Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, accusing them of failing to provide justice to the 20-year-old student.

The principal of the college and the accused professor have been arrested by the police.