A day after President Pranab Mukherjee demanded "strict action" in a meeting with politicians, he expressed "deep anguish and dismay" over the December 16 gangrape, at functions in Allahabad and Varanasi.

Justifying the anger and agony of the youth demonstrating at the India Gate, the President also made an emotional appeal to the youth to control their emotions. "Nothing is achieved through violence," said Mukherjee.

President was in Varanasi on Tuesday to attend the special convocation ceremony at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). "My heart goes out to this young girl (rape victim) and her family members who have demonstrated extraordinary courage amidst the worst adversity and I request all of you to join me in praying for her speedy recovery," he told the gathering.

Earlier in the day, at the Ninth convocation of the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT), Allahabad, Mukherjee said, "The government is alert to the situation and is taking necessary action to ensure that such unfortunate incidents are not repeated in future."