The alleged suicide of a girl student of BJB Autonomous College rocked the Assembly in Odisha on Monday, July 4, with the Opposition BJP and Congress members creating a ruckus over the issue and demanding a CBI probe.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, the Opposition members rushed to the well and demanded a CBI probe into the incident. Coming down heavily on the State government, they alleged that there has been a rise in cases of suicide in educational institutions. A first-year MBBS student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital at Balangir had allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the college hostel building on April 22, as stated a report in The New Indian Express.
The Opposition members demanded that question hour should be suspended and the incident should be discussed as the government has failed to provide security to the students. However, Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha asked the members to raise the issue during Zero Hour.
After the Speaker rejected their demand, the members intensified their slogan shouting in the well. As pandemonium continued, Arukha adjourned the House from 10.30 am to 11.30 am.
When the House reassembled, Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Majhi raised questions over the administrative capabilities of the Higher Education department and alleged that because of its laxity, cases of ragging are on the rise in the State. He demanded that more strict legislation should be enacted by the government to completely eradicate ragging.
The law and order situation in the State has collapsed, he said and added that the University Grants Commission (UGC) had also given information on the rise of ragging cases. Criticising the State government for remaining silent on such a sensitive issue, Majhi alleged that the inaction of the government led to the death of the girl student.
Congress member Suresh Routray alleged that the State government never holds meetings of the anti-ragging committees and demanded exemplary action against culprits in the case.
Keeping in view the concerns of the Opposition members, the Speaker asked the Minister of State for Home Tushar Kanti Behera to give a statement on the incident. Making a statement, the Minister, however, ignored the demand by the Opposition members for a CBI probe into the incident.
The Minister said the State government has taken the incident seriously and police investigation into the matter is on.
