Udit Pradhan, the President of the Odisha unit of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), was arrested by the Mancheswar police following serious allegations of sexual assault. A young woman has accused Pradhan of raping her at a hotel on March 18 after allegedly giving her an intoxicating drink.
Pradhan, who had recently led protests against the state government regarding violence against women and called for the resignation of the Chief Minister and other ministers, now faces rape charges himself, highlighting the perceived double standards of the Congress party. In response, both the Odisha unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) have strongly condemned the Congress. As part of their protest, they burned effigies of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das.
According to the complaint, the survivor lost consciousness and, upon regaining awareness, was threatened by Pradhan to remain silent about the incident. Following her report, police recorded her statement and took Pradhan into custody. He now faces multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including BNS 64(1) for rape, BNS 123 for administering an intoxicant to commit a crime, BNS 296 for obscene behavior in public, BNS 74 for forcibly displaying obscene behavior towards a woman, and BNS 351(2) for criminal intimidation and coercion. An investigation is currently underway.
ABVP Protests, Burns Effigies of Rahul Gandhi and Bhakta Das
The ABVP has targeted the Congress party in light of these developments. They held a demonstration at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar, where they burned effigies of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Odisha Pradesh Congress President Bhakta Charan Das.
Odisha NSUI chief Udit Pradhan arrested for raping a 19-year-old student after allegedly drugging her at a dinner. This is what the so-called Nari Satao Union of India stands for?
Congress must answer: is this your model of women empowerment?#NSUI #OdishaHorror
— ABVP (@ABVPVoice) July 21, 2025
During the protest, ABVP State Secretary Deeptimayee Pratihari remarked that the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had defamed Soumyashree, a student from Fakir Mohan College in Balasore. Ironically, the state president of the NSUI, Udit Pradhan, has now been arrested on charges of rape.
ସୌମ୍ୟାଶ୍ରୀ ଭଉଣୀଙ୍କ ଚରିତ୍ର ସଂହାର କରିଥିବା କଂଗ୍ରେସର ଛାତ୍ର ସଂଗଠନ ଏବଂ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମ ଅଭିଯୋଗରେ ଆଜି ଗିରଫ ହୋଇଥିବା @nsui ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସଭାପତି @UditPradhanINC ବିରୋଧରେ ଆଜି ଅଖିଳ ଭାରତୀୟ ବିଦ୍ୟାର୍ଥୀ ପରିଷଦ, ଓଡ଼ିଶା ତରଫରୁ ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱରରେ …#NSUIExposed #OdishaHorror#JusticeForSomyashri #ABVPOdisha pic.twitter.com/LdpdctsPds
— ABVP Odisha (@abvpodisha) July 21, 2025
She emphasised that this incident exposes the double standards of the Congress party and reveals its true character.
BJYM Criticises Congress’s Double Standards
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha has also launched a strong critique of the Congress party following Udit Pradhan’s arrest in connection with the rape case involving a female student.
है दामन में दाग जिनके, वो दूसरों में दाग ढूंढते हैं।
क्या यही है कांग्रेस का 'महिला सम्मान' का ढोंग? ओडिशा के NSUI अध्यक्ष उदित प्रधान द्वारा 19 वर्षीय छात्रा के साथ किए गए जघन्य अपराध पर राहुल गांधी मौन क्यों? pic.twitter.com/Jb8nxlMYQD
— BJP (@BJP4India) July 21, 2025
At a press conference, BJYM Odisha President Abhilash Panda criticised the Congress leadership, stating, “Until recently, Udit Pradhan was shedding crocodile tears over women’s safety, organising street protests, burning effigies of the Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister, and causing public inconvenience through road blockades. Today, his true character has been revealed. The same individual who claimed to advocate for justice for women is now an accused in a heinous crime.”
ଜଣେ ଛାତ୍ରୀଙ୍କୁ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମ କରିବା ଅଭିଯୋଗରେ ଗତକାଲି ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱରର ମଞ୍ଚେଶ୍ୱର ଥାନାରେ ମାମଲା ରୁଜୁ ହୋଇଥିଲା। ଅଭିଯୋଗ ଆଧାରରେ ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଅଭିଯୁକ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ତୁରନ୍ତ ଗିରଫ କରାଯାଇଛି। ସେ ହେଲେ କଂଗ୍ରେସ ଦଳର ରାଜ୍ୟ ଛାତ୍ର କଂଗ୍ରେସ ସଭାପତି ଉଦିତ୍ ପ୍ରଧାନ। ଗତ କିଛିଦିନ ତଳେ ଅଭିଯୁକ୍ତ ଉଦିତ୍ ନାରୀ ସୁରକ୍ଷା ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗରେ ରାଜରାସ୍ତାକୁ… pic.twitter.com/3kLGu1EXuX
— BJP Odisha (@BJP4Odisha) July 21, 2025
Panda questioned the Congress party’s response, noting that it only suspended Pradhan from his position and assumed the issue was resolved. “This token action is insufficient. The party must be held accountable for promoting individuals with a known criminal history,” he said.
He alleged that Pradhan had a history of criminal activities prior to becoming the NSUI state president. “On May 27, 2024, a robbery complaint was filed against him at Khandagiri police station. He also faces charges of cheating and assault with criminal intent,” claimed Panda. Despite these allegations, the Congress party appointed him as state NSUI chief on August 13, 2024 just three months after the FIR raising serious concerns about the party’s internal policies and candidate vetting processes.
କଂଗ୍ରେସର ଡିଏନଏରେ ଅଛି ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମ ଓ ବ୍ୟଭିଚାର। ପୂର୍ବରୁ କଂଗ୍ରେସ ଶାସନରେ ଛବିରାଣୀ ଓ ଅଞ୍ଜନାଙ୍କ ଭଳି ଅସଂଖ୍ୟ ମହିଳାଙ୍କ ସହ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମ ହୋଇଥିଲା। ଆଉ ଏବେ ଥଣ୍ଡା ପାନୀୟରେ ନିଶା ଦେଇ ରାଜଧାନୀର ଏକ ହୋଟେଲରେ ଛାତ୍ରୀଙ୍କୁ ଦୁଷ୍କର୍ମ କରିବା ଅଭିଯୋଗରେ ଗିରଫ ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି ରାଜ୍ୟ ଛାତ୍ର କଂଗ୍ରେସ ସଭାପତି ଉଦିତ ପ୍ରଧାନ।… pic.twitter.com/lH7XtK9Afs
— BJP Odisha (@BJP4Odisha) July 21, 2025
Panda also directed his criticism at Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Das, who had previously blamed the state government for the tragic incident at FM College in Balasore and demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister and Education Minister. “Now that his own party has appointed someone with serious criminal allegations to a top student leadership role, will Mr. Das resign on moral grounds?” Panda asked.
He further noted that photographs of Udit Pradhan with senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have emerged. “ Gandhi tweets about every issue from Delhi. Will he now address the crimes of his own party’s leader?” Panda questioned.
The BJYM leader also called out Congress National Women’s Wing President Alka Lamba, who had previously held a press conference in Delhi on women’s safety alongside Odisha MLA Sofia Firdous. “Will she now hold a press conference regarding the rape charges against her own party leader?” he asked.
Highlighting the state government’s efforts on women’s safety, Panda stated that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has adopted a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach. “In both the Balasore FM College and Balanga cases, immediate police action was taken. The accused teacher and college principal were swiftly arrested and presented before the court. In the Balanga incident, the survivor was airlifted to Delhi for better medical treatment, and the Crime Branch is actively investigating both cases,” he said.
Panda assured that no accused in such cases would be spared and urged the Congress party to clarify what actions it plans to take against its own leaders involved in criminal activities.
Bharatiya Yuva Morcha activists held a massive protest at Master Canteen Square over the matter and burned effigies of Rahul Gandhi and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhakta Charan Das.
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