Our prayers are with the brave young girl: PM, Sonia

Assuring the best possible medical care for the Delhi gangrape victim, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that the government was committed to bringing the perpetrators of the horrific crime to justice as soon as possible.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in her first public reaction, said, "Our thoughts are with the young woman who is fighting for her life after the barbarous attack".

She added, "Our only wish today is that she recovers and comes back to us and that no time is lost in bringing the perpetrators of such a barbarous act to justice".

Gandhi was responding to questions after unfurling the party flag at the All India Congress Committee headquarters to mark the completion of 127 years of the party since its formation.

The prime minister, who stood by her side, also addressed the media, saying, "We share the anguish and the anger of the country over this heinous crime".

Dr Singh said that best possible medical care is being provided to the victim.

"Our prayers are with the brave young girl," he said.

Dr Singh pointed out that the government has constituted two committees under Justice J S Verma and Justice Usha Mehra to suggest modification in laws related to crimes against women and to look into lapses in dealing with the aftermath of this crisis.

"So you have my assurance that our government is committed to bringing the guilty to justice as soon as possible," the prime minister said.

Gandhi also held a meeting at the party headquarters with Dr Singh, senior ministers and party leaders including Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit.

The gangrape issue was earlier raised prominently at the Congress Core Group meeting chaired by Gandhi and attended by the prime minister on Tuesday during which the Congress president is learnt to have said that there is a need for the police to address the issue with greater sensitivity.

During the meeting, the home minister had given a detailed briefing of the steps being taken by the government to enhance security in the city and the action taken so far in the gangrape case.

The 23-year-old gang-rape victim was shifted to the super specialty Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on December 28.

The victim was gangraped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus on December 17.