Rahul Gandhi slams BJP over Odisha student's death, calls it “system-orchestrated murder”

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday strongly condemned the tragic death of a young student in Odisha, calling it a “murder committed by the BJP’s system.”

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the student, who had bravely spoken out against sexual harassment, was repeatedly threatened, harassed, and humiliated instead of receiving justice.

“Those who were supposed to protect her were the ones who kept breaking her spirit,” Gandhi said, adding that the "BJP-led system continually shielded the accused while failing to support the victim".

He further claimed that the girl was driven to set herself on fire due to relentless mental torture and the absence of justice.

“This is not a suicide; it’s a murder orchestrated by the system,” he stated.

Gandhi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining silence amid growing violence and injustice against women in the country.

“Modi ji, whether it’s Odisha or Manipur, the daughters of this country are burning, breaking down, and dying. And you? You remain silent,” he said.

“The nation doesn’t need your silence, it demands answers. The daughters of India deserve safety and justice,” he added.

Notably, after battling for life for almost 55 hours, the undergraduate female student, who set herself ablaze after her complaint of prolonged sexual harassment by a teacher was not addressed in a government-run autonomous college in Odisha’s Balasore district, succumbed to burn injuries late on Monday night.