Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reached the MP-MLA court in Lucknow to appear in a defamation case related to allegedly making a controversial remark against the Indian Army.
UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, “Rahul Gandhi has come to Lucknow today, as he has to remain present before the Court. He will return to Delhi after that…” Earlier in the day, the LoP in the Lok Sabha called the death of the 20-year-old Balasore student an “organised murder by the BJP’s system,” accusing the BJP of failing to protect the victim. 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. The Congress workers staged a protest outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar following the death of a student from Balasore who had attempted self-immolation. Police later detained the protesting workers. On Monday, 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.
