Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Saturday called for giving harsh punishment publicly to rapists, saying the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua has deeply disturbed him.

Addressing members of women’s wing of his Jana Sena party, students and youth at the party office here, he said the incident shows that man was behaving worse than an animal.

“The eve teasers who stalk women and rape them should be punished publicly. Then only it will instill fear. We should follow Singapore in awarding the punishment,” he said.

Pawan said Kathua was not the first incident, regretting that the “system” gets into some action only an incident takes place. He noted that Nirbahaya law was enacted after a rape incident in Delhi.

“Will the MPs react only when something happens before their eyes,” asked Pawan, younger brother of super star and Congress leader Chiranjeevi.

The Jana Sena also organized a silent protest at Indira Gandhi statue on Necklace Road here, to demand stringent laws be made to protect women and give harsher punishment to the culprits.

“The law acts tough in dealing with the weak and acts weak in dealing with the powerful. We will fight to bring a change in this attitude,” the Jana Sena leader said.A

Pawan said whenever such incidents take place, the media should avoid creating sensation and instead behave in a manner which bring social awareness.

The actor did not agree with the view of some people that crimes against women have increased due to the influence of films. “Was the rape and murder of minor girl in Katuha was inspired by cinema and artistes”” he asked.

“As a brother, I know how difficult it is to protect girls when they go out. A situation has come where parents live in fear till their daughters return home safely.”

Narrating an incident that took place few years ago during shooting of a film, he said that some people harassed girls in the presence of 200 members of the film unit and claimed that he had to come forward to protect those girls.