Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday condemned the alleged rape and brutal assault of an 11-year-old Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh, accusing the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government of failing to protect Dalit and women and highlighting the alarming law and order situation in the state.

The Congress leader termed the crime “extremely shameful and shocking,” on X and pointed at the law and order situation in the state.

"The brutality and cruelty inflicted on an 11-year-old Dalit girl in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, is extremely shameful and shocking," Gandhi said.

He further pointed to a troubling pattern of recurring crimes in the state, asserting that Dalits — particularly girls — remain completely unsafe under the BJP rule.

“The continuous occurrence of such crimes in UP clearly proves that under the BJP government, Dalits, and especially girls, are completely unsafe,” he added.

Calling out what he described as an “anti-Dalit and anti-women mentality,” Gandhi held the government responsible for creating an environment in which criminals act without fear and victims are left without support.

“This is the result of the BJP's anti-Dalit and anti-women mentality, due to which criminals are fearless of the law and order system, and the victims are helpless!” he wrote.

He asked, “How long will the daughters of Uttar Pradesh continue to fall prey to such brutality?”

Gandhi has urged the state administration to take strict steps against the accused and ensure justice for the victim and her family at the earliest.

“There is a straightforward demand from the administration - take strict action against the criminal and ensure justice for the victim and her family as soon as possible,” the post concluded.

The Congress leader’s remarks come in the wake of the alleged rape of an 11-year-old deaf and mute Dalit girl in a village in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.

A man was arrested within 24 hours of allegedly raping an 11-year-old deaf-and-mute girl, who was found in a field here bleeding from her private parts and with bite marks on her body, according to officials.

The accused, Daan Singh (24), was arrested following a brief exchange of fire with police on Wednesday night in which he was injured, the officials said.

The girl, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital, is in severe shock and her condition is stated to be critical, they said.

The girl, who was missing since Tuesday evening, was found lying unconscious in a field in the morning, they said, adding that she was naked and bleeding.

The girl hails from a village located within the Shahbad police station limits.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Jaipal Singh said the girl was rushed to a hospital, where her condition was stated to be stable.

An FIR has been registered on a complaint from the rape survivor, the officer said, adding that three teams have been formed by the superintendent of police to work out the case.

Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a pattern of repeated assaults and atrocities against Dalit girls.

In the widely condemned Hathras case, a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men on September 14, 2020. She succumbed to her injuries two weeks later, sparking nationwide outrage.

A similarly harrowing incident occurred in Unnao, where a 22-year-old Dalit woman who had gone missing in December 2021 was found dead in February 2022. The autopsy revealed she had been strangled, with a broken neck and severe head injuries, pointing to a brutal assault.