'Organised murder by system': Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP over Odisha college student's death

Attacking the ruling BJP in Odisha over the death of the college student who set herself on fire, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged it was nothing less than an "organised murder by the system".

Gandhi alleged that those who were supposed to protect her kept "breaking her".

"The death of a daughter fighting for justice in Odisha is nothing less than a murder by the BJP's system. That brave student raised her voice against sexual harassment - but instead of delivering justice, she was threatened, tormented, and repeatedly humiliated," he alleged in a post on X.

"Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her. As always, the BJP's system continued to shield the accused and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire," he alleged.

Gandhi claimed the girl's death was not suicide, it was an organised murder by the system.

"Modi ji, whether in Odisha or Manipur - the daughters of the nation are burning, breaking, and dying. And you? You remain silent," he said.

"The country doesn't need your silence; it needs answers. India's daughters need safety and justice," he added.

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

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

She had suffered 95 per cent burns and died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.