Addressing a gathering at the launch of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan on National Panchayati Raj Day in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a social movement for protection of girls.

His comments come in the wake of increasing rapes reported from different parts of the country. The PM said families have to teach their sons to become responsible.

PM Modi was referring to the ordinance brought by his government last week that provides for death sentence to those convicted of raping a child below 12 years of age and life term to those raping a child below 16.

On 22 March, the President Ram Nath Kovind promulgated The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, which was approved by the Cabinet on 21 March.

PM Modi said his government listens to people and called for steps to give more respect to the daughters in the families.

“The recent steps taken by the Government will be beneficial in furthering the safety of women”, tweeted PMO Twitter handle.

The recent steps taken by the Government will be beneficial in furthering the safety of women: PM @narendramodi in Madhya Pradesh

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 24, 2018

“The government in Delhi listens to your heart. We should learn to give respect to daughters in the family, we should increase the importance of daughters in the family and start teaching sons about responsibility. It will never be difficult to protect daughters if we start teaching sons about responsibility”, the Prime Minister said.

“The one who acts devilishly will face the gallows. We have to build a social movement and we can all together bring out the country from this problem,” he said.

Also read | PM Modi urges officials, people to work for development of villages

PM Modi’s remarks came in the wake of nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a minor in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district and other similar incidents, including a case in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, where the main accused is a BJP MLA.

During the function, PM Modi unveiled a plaque to lay foundation stone of an LPG bottling plant of Indian Oil Corporation.

On the occasion, PM Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released a roadmap for overall development of tribals in the next five years.

PM Modi also felicitated village heads with 100 per cent smokeless kitchens, 100 per cent vaccination under Mission Indradhanush and total electrification under the Saubhagya Scheme.