Industrialist Anand Mahindra's offer to execute rapists strikes a chord on social media

MUMBAI: Industrialist Anand Mahindra's offer to "execute rapists and murderers of young girls" in the country has elicited a huge response on social media on Monday, with many more openly volunteering to support him.

Enraged at the news of an eight-year-old girl brutally raped, mutilated and murdered in Gujarat's Surat, the 62-year-old Chairman of automobiles giant Mahindra Group on Sunday shot off an angry tweet: "The job of executioner is not an aspirational job. But for the execution of brutal rapists & murders of young girls, I would volunteer unhesitatingly."

"I work hard to stay calm, but my blood boils over to see this happen in our country," his tweet said, reflecting his anguish and anger.

The rape in Surat comes at the height of protests all over the country in the wake of the rape and murder of a minor girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and the rape of a teenaged girl in Unnao of Uttar Pradesh.

Soon after Mahindra's comment, celebrity photographer Atul Kasbekar tweeted: "You'll have to get in line", indicating his own keenness to act as executioner in such crimes.

Others said that Mahindra's army of 6.6 million (Twitter) followers will be ready to be a part of this great deed, and others offered to give a helping hand whenever required.

Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan and Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam organised candle-lit marches on Sunday to pay homage to the Kathua victim and express solidarity with the Unnao survivor, besides similar silent protests all over the state.

There have been massive protests against the Kathua and Unnao incidents in several other metros like New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and in different states since the past few days, apart from people pouring their grief and outrage on social media while demanding justice.