17 percent spike in communal violence incidents

Incidents of communal violence were up by nearly 17% in 2015 over the previous year with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka reporting highest number of incidents.

Contradicting claims that communal violence got arrested during NDA government, the data compiled by the union home ministry says that 751 incidents of communal violence were reported last year compared to 644 in 2014, casualties rose from 95 to 97 while the figure of those injured rose from 1921 to 2264.

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh reported the highest 64% increase in communal incidents in 2015 from the previous year whereas Congress-ruled Karnataka reported 105 incidents against 73 in 2014 – registering a whopping increase of 44% increase.

In December last year minister of state for home, Kiren Rijiju, had told the Lok Sabha that communal violence was down since BJP led NDA government had come to power.

In 2013, in the run up to the 16th Lok Sabha elections in April 2014, the communal violence had peaked with 823 incidents in which 133 people were killed and over 2269 injured, reported DNA.

In 2013 under the Congress led UPA regime, country had seen a major increase in figures of communal violence incidents due to riots in Muzzafarnagar and adjacent region. Uttar Pradesh witnessed 247 communal violence incidents that in 2013 .

Those injured in communal riots in 2015 numbered 2264 which was almost the same as the worst figure of 2269 people injured in riots across the country in 2013, the data says.

UP, however, continues to report the maximum communal violence incidents with 155 incidents and 22 deaths. Bihar in 2015 has reported a high number of 20 deaths due to communal violence – a four-fold increase. BJP-ruled states of Gujarat and Rajasthan have shown a drop in figures from 2014.

The government, in its reply to Parliament, said that ‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ being State subjects under the Constitution of India, “the responsibility of dealing with communal violence, registration, investigation/inquiry and prosecution of crimes and maintaining data in this regard rests primarily with respective State Governments.”