Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday used his customary Independence Day address to obliquely refer to the rape and murder of the junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and target the Mamata Banerjee government, demanding the strictest punishment for the culprits.

Modi flagged the issue while hailing the achievements of women in fields such as the air force, army, navy and the space sector, stressing that state governments need to take incidents of atrocities against women seriously.

"There is public outrage over atrocities against our mothers and sisters. I feel this outrage. The country, the society, our state governments need to take this seriously," he said.

"Crimes against women must be probed as soon as possible, those involved in monstrous acts must face strict punishment at the earliest, this is necessary to create faith in society," he said, without making any direct reference to the RG Kar hospital incident.

Modi also offered his suggestion to instil "fear" among those targeting women. He said that when culprits get convicted for crimes against women, it should be widely publicised like the incident when it occurs.

"I would also like to say that when rapes and incidents of atrocities on women occur, it is widely reported and discussed. But when a person of such monstrous tendency is punished, it is not seen in the news, but restricted to a corner," he said.

"It is the need of the hour that extensive discussion on those receiving punishment be held so that those committing this sin understand that this leads to hanging. I think it is very important to instil fear," Modi added.