Amitabh Bachchan
Bollywood actor Amitabh BachchanReuters

The gang rape of the 23-year-old medical student, who is battling for life in hospital, has shocked the entire nation.

Besides common folk, Bollywood celebrities have also condemned the horrifying crime and demanded the government to roll out steps that would ensure women's safety in the country.

Actress and politician Jaya Bachchan was shaken up by the incident which occured on Sunday night. The 64-year-old MP broke down in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while talking about the case. "Why are we discussing it now, it should have been discussed earlier," Jaya told the House.

Other B-town celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Preity Zinta, Anurag Kashyap, Huma Qureshi, Shekhar Kapur and others took to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to express views regarding the incident.

They also demanded strict punishment for all those who involved in the rape incident, which took place in a moving bus in South Delhi.

"The horrific rape case in New Delhi is beyond any kind of vocabulary to describe its occurrence!! It is an act of a demon, a monster that deserves the harshest punishment; a punishment that should set an example for any such perpetrator in the future," Amitabh Bachchan wrote on his Facebook page.

"The gang rape in Delhi and its details are simply unmentionable  ... punish the culprits, with the most severe punishment ever... But also let us introspect! What is going wrong with our society, our people? Naari ke roop mein hum pooja karte hain - Durga, Kali, Lakshmi ki... jo shraddha hum yahan pradaan karte hain, apne desh ki mahilaon pe kyun nahin karte...!!!"

"Somewhere the fear of justice, of the system, of our morals and our upbringing has given rise to a freedom that perpetrates such crimes!! Intolerance has set in! And unless we move fast and sure footedly to rectify this, there can be no correction. Let every Indian become a vigilante, a soldier, a commander that shall fight such heinous crimes with strength and conviction!!" Bachchan said.

"We cannot blame a ghastly act as the collective deterioration of the world we live in. It is not an external condition.İTS US becos we make that collective & if we dont punish the rapists then rightfully we will be punished...soon....very soon...when this inhuman crime hits our homes and families," Shahrukh Khan said.

"The first thought which comes to the mind is - such people should be killed - but there are too many things which we have to follow. It is a shame that such a thing has happened, how can somebody commit such a heinous crime," Salman Khan said during a press conference.

"If not death they should be sentenced for life so that they learn a lesson. Rapists are beaten up in jails also," he added.

"It's disgusting how unsafe Delhi is becoming 4women! Either there should be capital punishment 4 rapists or they should be castrated #Justice," Preity Zinta wrote on her Twitter handle.

"We need to Stop objectifying our women in what we call our second religion.. Our films. And our Tv Shows," Anurag Kashyap tweeted.

"Our legal system is so delayed that by the time the rapist is punished the crime is long forgotten & d victim remains a victim lifelong," Farah Khan tweeted.

"Read the newspapers this morning & I wish I hadn't. Read the heart rending, shocking & saddening news about the gang-rape on a Delhi bus! My heart goes out to the little girl & her family. I hope those men are found & publicly punished for this heinous act," Juhi Chawala tweeted.