Amidst the outrage over crimes against women in the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the safety and security of women was the government’s highest concern. Speaking at the National Development Council meet in the national capital, the Prime Minister said, “Growing threats to safety and security to women are a concern. We must reflect on this problem which occurs in all regions of our country.”

The Prime Minister urged the Chief Ministers of all the states to ensure the safety of women. “I urge all chief ministers to pay special attention to this area in their regions,” Manmohan Singh said.

Manmohan Singh also said that the government will review laws in sexual assault cases. “The government has decided to review present laws and examine the level of punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault,” the Prime Minister added.

This comes amidst national outrage over the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old medical student inside a moving bus in Delhi on December 16. Speaking on the case, the Prime Minister said, “Culprits in the Delhi gangrape case have been apprehended, law will deal with them expeditiously.”

The survivor, who has been battling for life, has been admitted to the ICU of the Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore that specialises in multi-organ transplant procedures. She was shifted out of the Safdarjung Hospital and taken to the airport late on Wednesday night. The decision was taken at the highest level and the government is bearing all the expenses.