Boxer Mary Kom with Badminton star Saina Nehwal. (File Photo)
Legendary Indian boxer M C Mary Kom, who is also a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, said the alarming increase in the number of rapes in the country has left her feeling "hurt and helpless" while star shuttler Saina Nehwal condemned the "ghastly crimes".
After the 2012 Nirbhaya case, the Kathua and Unnao rape cases have shook the nation, triggering widespread outrage.
An eight-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district while BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar has been arrested on allegations of raping a minor in Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh.
The Unnao vicitm's father died in police custody even as Sengar has claimed to be innocent. The Unnao case came to light when the victim tried to immolate herself outside Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence.
"Whatever the government is doing, it will take a correct step. They know better than me. It hurts me, makes me very emotional being a woman (that 8 year-olds are raped). As an Indian I feel sad. I feel helpless," Mary Kom told a TV channel after returning to country from Gold Coast, where she won a historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Deeply grieved, tweets Saina Nehwal
Meanwhile, badminton star Saina Nehwal, who won women's singles gold at the CWG, also posted a anger-laden tweet.
"I am deeply grieved to feel the atrocities on the girls and women in India by assaulting and brutally ending the priceless lives by few mindless creatures in our beautiful country. I condemn the ghastly crimes, which should be stopped at once," Saina wrote on her Twitter page.
A few days ago, India's other sportspersons such as cricketer Gautam Gambhir, tennis star Sania Mirza and badminton player Jwala Gutta had expressed anguish on the disturbing trend.
