Mumbai, April 15 (IANS): The Congress' Maharashtra unit will hold candle-light protests across Mumbai and Maharashtra on Sunday to protest against the recent horrifying rape incidents in Unnao and Kathua.

Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam will lead a procession in the suburbs at 6 a.m., followed by a similar march by state Congress chief Ashok Chavan in Thane at 7 a.m..

Besides, all the district units of the party all over the state shall similar candle-lit marches to protest against the rape incident of an 8-year-old nomadic girl in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua and a young girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao which have shaken the country.

"Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken over the reins at the centre and in states, there has been a sharp increase in the number of crimes against women. Unfortunately, the government has not initiated any concrete measures to redress it," Chavan said.

Referring to Maharashtra, he said since the present BJP-led administration assumed power, crimes against women and girls here have shot up by 36 percent.

Nirupam said the candle-light protests will express solidarity with the victims and their families and highlight the government's failure to combat the growing cases of atrocities against women.