Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal President and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday expressed deep shock and anguish over the death of another girl by self-immolation in Gaisilet area of Bargarh district.
In a post on X, former Chief Minister Patnaik conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, praying for strength for them in this hour of grief.
“Deeply saddened, shocked and anguished to know that another girl from Gaesilat, Bargarh has died after setting herself on fire. My condolences for the young girl and prayers are with the family members in the hour of grief. May God give the family members strength to bear this irreparable loss”, read his tweet.
Patnaik said that behind each such death lies the unbearable pain of a daughter of Odisha who saw no other way out than to end her life.
“It is deeply disturbing that there is a heartbreaking pattern in the way our girls are dousing themselves with inflammable to take away their lives. Four young girls have lost their lives in similar circumstances within a month. In each passing away of innocent lives lies a pain of a daughter of #Odisha which became so unbearable that she saw no other way out than end her life. These four deaths are not stray cases- there are many such girls who are dying in the most tragic way possible after being subjected to crime every day”, wrote Patnaik in his X handle.
Terming the incidents as a reflection of systemic failure, the BJD chief accused the BJP government of failing to instil confidence among girls.
“Their desperation is not just personal tragedy. Each tragedy reflects the failure to hear their screams. The BJP administration is failing to create confidence in the system where our daughters feel safe, valued and heard”, he maintained in his tweet.
“How long will the BJP government wait to stop this heartbreaking pattern?” he questioned, stating that “How long BJP Govt will wait to stop this heartbreaking pattern? The traumatic silence and inaction from the BJP Govt leave the daughters of #Odisha more vulnerable.”
It is pertinent to note that the 13-year-old girl, who was staying at her maternal uncle’s house at Phiringimal village under Gaisilet police station area, on Monday set herself on fire allegedly over some family issues. The villagers spotted her half-burnt at a football ground near her uncle’s house.
She was rescued and rushed to VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla, Sambalpur, where she later succumbed while undergoing treatment.
The victim, after the incident, reportedly told locals that a girl was responsible for her taking the extreme decision. The police have launched an investigation after registering a case in this regard.
Notably, the incident shocked the entire state, as it was the fourth case of a girl dying by self-immolation in just one month.
