Days after being forced to beat hasty retreat, Sheila Dikshit at forefront of anti-gangrape protest

Hundreds of women, including Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, today participated in a silent march demanding justice for the 23-year-old girl who lost her life after being gangraped and brutally assaulted even as a group of people continued their fast at Jantar Mantar on the issue.

Dikshit flagged off the 'Mahila Suraksha Samman March' from Bal Bhavan to Rajghat which was participated by over a thousand women. The Chief Minister walked upto ITO along with the protesters carrying placards -- 'we want safety' and 'stop violence against women'.

At Rajghat some of the favourite 'bhajans' of Mahatma Gandhi were played and a minute long silence was observed in memory of the girl. Several people including Dikshit offered floral tributes at Gandhi's memorial.

"When we walk down the road on night we want to feel that we are safe. We don't want to live under the fear of being raped or molested," said Ahana Singh, one of the protestors who joined the march.

"It is not that only because of this incident that we have hit the road. For last few years Delhi is the most unsafe city for women in India. This should change," said Anushka Singh.

The protest march was organised by Delhi Commission for Women.

At Jantar Mantar, a modest crowd continued their protest demanding stringent punishment for those involved in the December 16 incident in which the girl was raped allegedly by six men and brutally assaulted.

Two men continued their fast at Jantar Mantar in protest against the incident and demanded death sentence for the accused.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at the protest site.

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