Bhubaneswar, July 17 (IANS) The statewide shutdown call by eight political parties led by Congress over the tragic death of a female student of the Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore crippled normal life across Odisha on Thursday.

Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded on national and state highways due to the shutdown in major cities of the state.

Business establishments, petrol pumps and educational institutions were also closed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Balasore, etc., owing to the dawn-to-dusk ‘Odisha Bandh’.

Senior leaders of the party, including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das, AICC in-charge Ajay Lallu, along with party workers, engaged in picketing in Bhubaneswar and other major cities of the state.

The Congress party claimed massive support from people for the shutdown being observed by eight political parties across the state, demanding justice for the female student, who died on Monday following a self-immolation attempt on July 12 over alleged sexual harassment by a faculty member of the college.

Speaking to media persons, OPCC president Das said, “Today, the Congress party and other parties, including the Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, are observing Odisha Bandh seeking justice for women in the state.”

Das alleged that women have repeatedly been facing various atrocities in Odisha during the last five months. He further stated that over 20,000 women and children have gone missing and over 77 gang-rape incidents have occurred during the one year of the BJP rule.

The OPCC president also mentioned the recent gangrape of a woman student by 10 people at Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district, alleging that such crimes are rising in the state.

Das alleged that the FM College student from Balasore district, who is a member of ABVP, went from pillar to post to justice, but to no avail. He alleged that the Balasore District Collector, Superintendent of Police, the Inspector in-charge of the local police station, the state higher education minister, local MP and MLA failed to provide her justice, which led her to commit self-immolation.

“This is not a suicide but a well-planned murder. Our leader, Rahul Gandhiji, rightly understood the situation and spoke to the family members. We also went to their house to express our condolences. The Congress Party stands with the bereaved family. The party is fighting the issue as per the instructions of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. Women are being subjected to atrocities in the BJP-ruled states everywhere. The Congress party has given a bandh call protesting against the incidents of widespread violence against women in Odisha. The Bandh is a massive success. Thousands of people in every district of the state are coming out and observing the Bandh. All the associations, students, youths, farmers, women and the people of Odisha are supporting the Bandh. If the government fails to give justice to the victim student, the protest will be further escalated,” said Das.

–IANS

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