Bhubaneswar: The Congress party on Thursday observed one-minute silent prayer demanding justice for the 20-year-old woman student of a college in Balasore who died by self-immolation. The Congress leaders and supporters observed the silent prayer here at the party State headquarters and several other places, including educational institutions and party’s branch offices.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das later joined the ‘Shradhanjali Sabha’ organised here in front of Utkal University. Speaking to mediapersons, Das said, “We had appealed to people, including students, to observe a one-minute prayer, to provide justice, at 9 am on Thursday. Prayers have been organised in different places and in educational institutes as a symbolic event.”

As the victim was a student, ‘Shradhanjali Sabha’ has been organised in front of Utkal University, he said. Later, the party launched a mobile app to redress grievances of women of the State.

“On the ‘Ekadashah’ of the Balasore victim, we have launched the app to help and support the women in distress. We created the app because in many cases, the police are not hearing the issues of the women, who became victim of rape and other atrocities,” said Minakshi Bahinipati.