Bhubaneswar: Senior BJD Leader and Lawmaker Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has urged the BJP government to take preventive action to ensure that KIIT like incident should not happen again either to any foreign female student or Odia student.
Participating in a debate in the adjournment motion on the KIIT incident, Shri Singh Deo said, “The incident has brought deep shame to the state of Odisha to our country. I am glad the response from the treasury bench is not what it was yesterday when I raised the issue on the floor. They shouted which party’s MP he was . The accused belongs to which party has no relation to the incident. I am glad that better sense has prevailed in the House. The Treasury Bench has come forward for the interest of the State.”
In his reply, the Ministry informed how the offence happened and what actions the government has taken to reach out to the Nepali student, he said. Shri Singh Deo urged for protection of Nepali students in view of the serious incident.
“Is this the job of the Higher Education Minister? I am extremely disappointed. This is an issue of law and order. Should the Higher Education Minister reply on this matter or the Chief Minister who holds Home portfolio should reply on this?” he asked.
This is the case of complete failure for the prevention of the issue of the aftermath of the incidence. The Minister should answer what laws prevail in the State or country to protect women and female students being harassed in such a manner, the BJD Lawmaker said.
Shri Singh Deo said the UGC has also issued guidelines in this regard. However the Minister has not mentioned a single word about the UGC guidelines. Everybody knows about the incident and we are aware about the delay in action by the University staff.
There was a protest by the student and discrimination was made for Nepali students which was a very sad incident. The Minister is yet to reply about what steps the Government plans to prevent such type of incident?, he further asked.
“The government has no plan and no answer, no action to prevent such a situation. The Police station is located next to the door of the institute. So whether the evidence has been tampered or not, that is a matter of investigation. But the fact is that the student agitation went for more than 12 hours,” he added.
“Was it not the duty of the police to intervene to protect the student when they were bitten by the staff? Was it not a failure of the police, was the no effort from the Government to try and diffuse the situation,” Shri Singh Deo again asked.