Terming the 2013 as a dark year for Odisha, BJP on Wednesday called upon people to fight against corruption and injustice in 2014.
Highlighting 10 incidents of the previous year, the state BJP president K.V. Singhdeo said 2013 was a year of sexual assault, investment scams and farmers' suicides.
Demanding a CBI probe into the killing of the lady school teacher at Tikiri in Rayagada district, Mr. Singhdeo said the state government attempted to settle the matter just by paying Rs. 10 lakh compensation to the family of the victim. The lady teacher was burnt to death for not withdrawing a molestation case against her senior.
Rape and murder of a student of Barpali College whose body was found under mysterious circumstances in the outskirts of her village Barlabahal, the BJP leader said her family was assisted with only Rs. 10,000.
Citing another instance of minor rape, the BJP leader said a 14-year-old girl from Mahakalapada was set on fire by two miscreants and she died at the Capital Hospital. She was allegedly raped before she was set on fire, he pointed out.
In another instance, a visually challenged girl was allegedly abducted, raped and murdered on the outskirts of Puri town. A student was killed near Barpali level crossing in Bargarh district.
Another 16-year-old minor girl, an orphan, was abducted and raped in Rayagada. Later she attempted self- immolation and died.
“In between January to December in 2013, more than 1500 rape case registered which itself is a dark spot to our state,” Mr. Singhdeo said in a statement.
Similarly, while talking on farmers suicide, the BJP leader said one Ruturaj Dalai (55) of Gurandi village of Gajapati district and Suadam Pradhan (40), a resident of Manikpur village of Subarnapur district allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide on December 11 and 13 respectively.
A farmer Bije Thapa (50) and his son Thabir Thapa (27) attempted to commit suicide by consuming pesticide due to crop failure and debt burden in Debgadtikra village in Bargarh on December 28. Another farmer from Teenkani village, Barpali block, Bargarh committed suicide due to bad yield and debt burden on October, the BJP state president pointed out.
