As protests over the horrendousgangrape incident intensified, Congress President Sonia Gandhitoday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking for swiftand immediate action in the case.
She also wanted the Prime Minister to ask the HomeMinister to ensure that appropriate measures are taken toprotect the victim, who is undergoing treatment in a cityhospital.
With the incident fuelling widespread outrage, Gandhi islearnt to have stressed for "action with immediate effect".
Her telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister followstwo strongly-worded letters from her to Home Minister SushilKumar Shinde and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit onDecember 18.
In her letter to Shinde, the Congress President had said"It is a shame for us, who are responsible for the security ofour cities that a young woman can be raped in a moving bus inthe capital of the country and flung on to the street."
She had also noted with concern that it was a "matter ofshame" that such incidents happen with painful regularity.
Gandhi had also visited the Safdarjung Hospital the sameday to inquire about the condition of the 23-year-old victim,who was in a critical state, after Sunday night's incident.
In the letters, Gandhi had sought "strictest possiblemeasures" to ensure that there is no recurrence of such abarbaric crime.
The Congress leader said in her letter to Dikshit that"such violence and criminality needs not only to be condemned,it calls for a concerted effort to fight it."
Describing the incident as a "monstrous crime", Gandhisaid this deserves not only universal condemnation but alsothe "Government's most urgent attention".
"It is imperative that the police and other agenciesconcerned are sensitised to the dangers that our daughters,sisters and mothers face everyday. The security agencies mustbe motivated, trained and equipped to deal with the menace. Ihope you will initiate immediate action to remedy thesituation," Gandhi told the Home Minister.