Must ensure her death is not in vain: Prime Minister

New Delhi: As India woke up to the news that the young student battling for her life in Singapore has died in hospital, the Prime Minister said, "I join the nation in conveying to her family and friends my deepest condolences at this terrible loss. I want to tell them and the nation that while she may have lost her battle for life, it is up to us all to ensure that her death will not have been in vain." (Read full statement)

He also appealed for calm. The student's gang-rape by six drunk men on a moving bus in Delhi on the night of December 16 has shaken the country. Last weekend, thousands of students clashed with the police at and around India Gate in the heart of the capital

The Prime Minister cautioned, "We have already seen the emotions and energies this incident has generated. These are perfectly understandable reactions from a young India and an India that genuinely desires change. It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channelize these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action."  

The Delhi Police has announced that major roads in Central Delhi around India Gate, the epicentre of protests for the student, will remain closed today. .