Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJD on Monday called for an ‘All Odisha Students Strike’ on June 25 to protest the alleged gang-rape of a college student at Gopalpur sea beach in Ganjam district. At a press conference here, BJD leader Debi Ranjan Tripathy appealed to the students community to come together and strongly protest the Gopalpur incident where a college girl was gang-raped.

“We have appealed to students of all colleges across the State to wear black badges, boycott classes and protest openly in order to protect girl students from sexual exploitation and assault,” Tripathy said. Another BJD leader, Byomakesh Ray, alleged that the law and order situation has completely collapsed. “Girls and women are scared of going out of their homes due to the incidents of college girls being raped and schoolgirls becoming pregnant in hostels,” Ray said. Claiming that over 15 rape cases are reported in Odisha every day, Ray said Gopalpur gang-rape incident has brought shame to the entire State. The BJD leaders said a 20-year-old college student was gang-raped on June 15 evening at Gopalpur sea beach when she had been to the place along with her male friend on the occasion of Raja festival. “While the BJP government was celebrating the first anniversary of completing one year in office, an innocent girl was gang-raped,” Ray said.

Holding Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Home portfolio, “responsible for the rise of sexual assault cases” in the State, Tripathy said the police picked up 50 BJD activists when they protested during the Chief Minister’s tour to Ganjam district on Monday.

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is also in charge of Women and Child Development department, said: “The State government has been contemplating to ensure security for visitors to different ‘lovers point’ in the State.” Parida said the State government has taken prompt action and arrested 10 accused persons in the Gopalpur incident within some hours. The TI (test identification) parade of the accused has been conducted. Law is taking its own course, she said.

Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the State government has started work for setting up six women’s fast-track courts to deal with cases related to crime against women. A decision has been taken that if a woman is a victim of atrocities, the case can be decided within a month, he said.