The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) intensified its attack on the state government on Monday, leading coordinated protests across all RDC offices in Odisha—Cuttack, Berhampur, and Sambalpur.
The agitation stems from two recent disturbing incidents: the death of Balasore FM College student Soumyashree Bisi and the horrific burning of a minor girl in Balanga, Puri.
Led by senior party leaders Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, Prasanna Acharya, and Debi Prasad Mishra, the demonstrations denounced a growing wave of violence against women. Das Burma warned that failure to initiate a judicial inquiry would prompt a gherao of the Odisha Assembly.
In Sambalpur, Prasanna Acharya rued that law and order in the state had collapsed. “This is a reflection of Odisha’s collective outrage. Women are not safe. Students are being attacked in public,” he said.
Cuttack saw Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra criticising the government’s complacency, citing alarming statistics—“15 rapes per day”—and underscoring international concern over safety. “Even the American government has issued travel advisories for women in Odisha,” Mishra added.
BJD emphasised that their agitation mirrors growing anguish among youth and civil society, demanding urgent accountability and systemic reform to protect women in public and institutional spaces.
