“Let this be a wake-up call for all Modi bhakts. ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' is only a media spectacle,” he said.

Balasore, Odisha Self-Immolation Case Latest news Updates: Chairman of the Media & Publicity Department of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Pawan Khera, on Sunday strongly criticized the BJP-led “Double Engine Sarkar” for what he termed as "institutional apathy" and "criminal complicity" that allegedly drove a student to attempt self-immolation at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore, Odisha.

“It is a national tragedy that a young woman in Odisha was forced to set herself on fire after facing relentless sexual harassment by her college HoD. She pleaded for help—informally to the Principal, formally to the Internal Complaints Committee, and publicly to the Chief Minister and Education Minister on social media. Yet, her complaints went unheard,” Khera said.

The Congress leader also shared multiple complaints written by the victim to various authorities, pleading for help.

Khera further pointed out that a BJP MP had demanded the suspension of the HoD, but even he was “brushed aside by the college Principal.”
“As such, it is safe to call the Double Engine Sarkar a cruel joke—because it does not even empower a local MP from the ruling party to prevail over a college Principal in such a crucial and sensitive matter,” he remarked.

He called for accountability, asserting that the culprit must face the full force of the law.

“This is not just institutional apathy; it is criminal complicity. The HoD must face legal consequences for driving a woman to self-immolation. The Principal and the ICC must also be held accountable—not merely for negligence, but for abetment,” Khera added.

He noted that the victim was an office bearer of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Balasore.
“Notably, the victim was an ABVP office bearer in a BJP-ruled state. If this is the fate of ‘their own,’ what can ordinary women—with no access to networks of power—in Odisha and beyond, possibly expect?”

“Let this be a wake-up call for all Modi bhakts. ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ is only a media spectacle,” he said.

Khera also alleged that the BJP tends to side with the accused rather than the victim in such cases.
“In their daily lives, women across India feel unsafe—especially because of the ruling party’s tendency to stand with the accused instead of the victim, to shield the rapists instead of the raped. We must, therefore, ask ourselves: Is this the India we want to build for our women?”

The victim, who suffered 95% burns in the alleged self-immolation attempt, remains in critical condition.
“At this moment, we cannot say anything conclusive,” said Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

Earlier today, the National Commission for Women (NCW), taking suo motu cognizance of the case, directed the Director General of Police, Odisha, to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation.

NCW Chairperson Ms. Vijaya Rahatkar also urged strict action against the accused and called for all necessary medical and psychological support to be provided to the victim, free of cost.
The Commission has asked for an action-taken report to be submitted within three days.

Meanwhile, the accused HoD, Sameer Kumar Sahu, has been arrested by the police, and a detailed investigation into the matter is currently underway.

(For more news apart from “AICC-Pawan Khera Slams BJP for Institutional Apathy and Criminal Complicity in Self-Immolation Case,” stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)