New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the alleged rape of an 11-year-old Dalit girl and demanded strict action against the culprit.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said such crimes were "happening continuously" in the state due to the BJP's anti-Dalit and anti-women mindset.

The deaf-and-mute girl went missing on Tuesday and was found in a field the next morning. She was bleeding from her private parts, and there were bite marks on her body. The girl is undergoing treatment at a hospital and is stated to be critical.

"The brutality and cruelty inflicted on an 11-year-old Dalit girl in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, is extremely shameful and shocking. Such crimes happening continuously in UP clearly prove that Dalits, and especially daughters, are completely unsafe under the BJP government.

"It is the result of the BJP's anti-Dalit and anti-women mindset that criminals are fearless of law and order, and victims are helpless! Till when will the daughters of Uttar Pradesh continue to be victims of such brutality," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

"We have a simple demand from the administration - take strict action against the culprit and provide speedy justice to the victim and her family," the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested a 24-year-old man within 24 hours of the incident.

Daan Singh was caught following a brief exchange of fire with police on Wednesday night in which he was injured, officials said.

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Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.

The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.

According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.

In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.

In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.

The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.

In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.

The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.

The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.

Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.