New Delhi, [India], July 15 : BJP MP and former National Commission for Women (NCW) chief, Rekha Sharma, on Tuesday called the Balasore student's death a serious matter and blamed the college for not acting on her complaint.
Earlier in the day, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Odisha's Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation in protest over sexual harassment by her teacher.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the BJP, Sharma urged Gandhi to support the victim's family instead of politicising the matter. She also questioned the Congress party's silence on crimes against women in West Bengal and Congress-ruled states.
Speaking to ANI, Rekha Sharma said, "This is a very serious matter. There was negligence on the part of the college for not acting on the student's complaint. Instead of doing politics on such issues, Rahul Gandhi should stand by the victim's family. I have never heard Rahul and Priyanka speak against atrocities against women in West Bengal. They remain quiet when such incidents happen in Congress-ruled states. It is important that we all stand together on matters of safety and security of women."
Sharma's remarks come after Rahul Gandhi had earlier called the student's death an "organised murder by the BJP's system," blaming the government for failing to protect her.
Gandhi alleged that the student, who set herself on fire after facing sexual harassment, was subjected to repeated threats, torments and humiliation instead of receiving justice.
In a post on X, LoP Gandhi wrote, "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. Those who were supposed to protect her kept breaking her."
The LoP accused the BJP government of shielding the accused and called on Prime Minister Modi to break his silence, ensuring safety and justice for the daughters of India.
"As always, the BJP's system continued to shield the accused and forced an innocent daughter to set herself on fire. This is not suicide; it is 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. The country doesn't need your silence; it needs answers. India's daughters need safety and justice," the post reads.
On Monday, the Department of Burn Centre, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, said in a statement that the patient was brought to the casualty on July 12 and was referred from Balasore District Headquarters Hospital to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
The 20-year-old student set herself on fire on Saturday after allegedly facing prolonged sexual harassment by her college's Head of Department. Despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident. The incident occurred at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.