Congress seeks Odisha CM's resignation over college student's death, imposition of President's Rule

Alka Lamba, who arrived in the state to meet the victim's family, alleged that she died due to the failure of the system in Odisha.

Bhubaneswar: Demanding the resignation of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi over the death of the college student in Balasore district, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba on Wednesday said President's Rule must be imposed in the state "like Manipur".

The second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Monday night. She had set herself on fire on the college campus on Saturday over inaction against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed her.

Lamba, who arrived in the state to meet the victim's family, alleged that she died due to the failure of the system in Odisha.

"As the chief minister is the head of the system, he should resign and President's Rule should be imposed in the state," she said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself earlier demanded imposition of President's Rule in Rajasthan, alleging women and girls were not safe in the state," she claimed.

Lamba said the Congress-led opposition had pressed for the imposition of President's Rule in Manipur and will demand it in Odisha during the upcoming Lok Sabha session.

She claimed that the chief minister has no experience in running the government and has "failed" in one year.

"The CM has put up big posters of him with PM Modi across the state. But the reality is that entire Odisha is moving towards destruction and no woman or girl is safe in the state," she alleged.

"At least the PM should have posted a tweet in Odia, paying tributes to the victim and offering condolences to her family. The victim was associated with the ABVP, the students' wing of the RSS," she claimed.

The Congress will continue the fight for the safety of the state's women, she added.