Bhubaneswar: The Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), youth and student wings of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), launched a scathing attack on the Odisha government today over the death of Soumyashree Bisi, a student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, who allegedly died by suicide after facing harassment by college authorities.
At a press conference held at Shankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, senior BJD leaders, including General Secretary and MLA Byomkesh Ray, MLA Debi Ranjan Tripathy, youth leader Dhruti Martha, and spokesperson Ipsita Sahu, expressed anguish over the incident, calling it a failure of the administration at every level.
“The entire state is shocked. A girl kept crying out for help, but no one—neither the Chief Minister nor the local police—responded,” alleged Ray. He claimed the government was busy with celebrations while ignoring Soumyashree’s plight. “Even after her death, there was an attempt to cremate her body in Puri under police watch in the dead of night. But due to strong resistance from her family and our party workers, the body was taken to her native village, Palasia, for the last rites,” he added.
The leaders announced that the Yuva and Chhatra BJD would begin statewide protests from today, demanding justice for Soumyashree. “This movement will only grow stronger. Protests will continue until those responsible resign,” said MLA Debi Ranjan Tripathy. The BJD also demanded ₹2 crore in compensation for the victim’s family.
Spokesperson Ipsita Sahu alleged a deeper conspiracy behind the incident, claiming that Soumyashree, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), was driven to take the extreme step due to harassment from within the organization. “The student community now sees the true face of the ABVP,” she said, further accusing the Chief Minister, Higher Education Minister, local MP, and MLA of failing to intervene or provide support even after being fully aware of the situation.
The BJD demanded that the investigation be handed over to a sitting judge of the Orissa High Court, rejecting any internal inquiry mechanisms, and called upon students and youth across Odisha to join their agitation until justice is delivered.
