Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former IAS officer Sujata Rout Karthikeyan launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led state government, alleging rampant lawlessness, political coercion, and violence across educational institutions during the ongoing campus elections.
In a videotaped message, Karthikeyan expressed outrage over reports of outsiders and unidentified miscreants trespassing into higher education premises to disrupt the electoral process. Pointing directly to a recent high-profile breach, she questioned how violent agitators managed to force their way into a women’s college campus by breaking iron gates, while administrative authorities watched on.
Karthikeyan alleged that the state apparatus is actively being leveraged to intimidate student leaders belonging to the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD). She stated that police personnel were terrorising BCJD members across multiple campuses while college administration officials issued implicit threats to student leaders.
“I strongly condemn this,” Karthikeyan asserted in her address. “In such a situation, the peaceful environment of colleges and the academic atmosphere is being ruined. What message is being given to the student community by threatening them? What education are we passing on to future generations?”
Reminding the state administration of its fundamental duties, the BJD leader stated that ensuring free, fair, and peaceful campus elections should be the government’s top priority so students can engage in democratic learning without fear.
Reiterating her party’s stand, she declared that the Biju Janata Dal will not remain silent while the educational environment and future of Odisha’s youth are put at risk, calling for an immediate restoration of political decorum and safety inside college premises.
