Partial disruption in Puri as BJD observes 6-hour hartal over Balanga girl’s death

Bhubaneswar, Aug 7: Normal life in parts of Odisha’s Puri district was disrupted on Thursday due to a six-hour hartal called by the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD). The protest was held to demand justice for a 15-year-old girl who succumbed to burn injuries at AIIMS Delhi on August 2.

Demonstrators holding placards, banners, and blowing conch shells—symbolic of the BJD—urged local shopkeepers to shut down their establishments. The bandh, observed from 6 am to 12 noon, also witnessed road blockades at several key points including Pipili Toll Plaza, Uttara Square, Mangalpur Market, and Satashankha Market, where protestors set tyres on fire.

Former MLA Rudra Pratap Maharathy led protests in Pipili, where National Highway-316 and nearby marketplaces were blocked. The agitators raised slogans condemning the police investigation and appealed to the public to stand against rising crimes targeting women in Odisha. Puri town saw reduced traffic with many roads appearing empty during the bandh hours.

The deceased girl’s mother initially stated that three unidentified men abducted and set her daughter ablaze near the Bhargavi riverbank on July 19. However, following her death, police dismissed the involvement of others, claiming it was a case of self-immolation. The girl’s father, in a video message, echoed the police version, saying his daughter took the step under mental distress and appealed to political parties not to exploit the tragedy.

Despite this, the BJD and Congress have raised doubts over the police’s conclusion. Puri MLA Umakanta Samantray alleged that the victim’s family was coerced into changing their narrative, pointing to inconsistencies between the mother’s FIR and the father’s later statement. He justified the hartal as a means to highlight the growing number of sexual crimes in the state, accusing the BJP-led government of inaction.

Samantray also clarified that vehicles carrying devotees to Shree Jagannath Temple and essential services were not stopped during the bandh. The BJD warned it would scale up protests statewide and demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida in connection with the case.