Worrying Numbers: Communal violence up in India, UP tops at 195

The Narendra Modi-led Central government has attempted to present a rosy picture of the growth and development scenario of the country on his tours abroad, another one of which is on the anvil.

However the Ministry of Home Affairs’ records go on to indicate the contrary. In a recent revelation in the Indian Parliament under session, the MHA has admitted that over 822 communal incidents were reported in the last year in which 111 people lost their lives and 2384 were reported injured. These figures are much higher than those reported over the last two years from 2015-2016.

Informing the Parliament, the Minister of State for for Home, Mr. Hansraj Ahir stated that the figures of communal clashes in 2015 and 2016 stood at 751 and 703 respectively.

Unsurprisingly Uttar Pradesh, the state led by Modi’s favourite Chief Minister  Adityanath Yogi, records the highest number of communal incidents (195) followed by Karnataka (100) Rajasthan (91) Bihar (85),Madhya Pradesh (60), West Bengal (58) and Gujarat (50). As per the MHA data there  has been a gradual incline in the communal incidents in the states of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar and Rajasthan, all three governed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the centre. Incidents in Gujarat and Maharashtra, however, are on the decline. Uttar Pradesh had recorded 152 and 162 communal incidents in 2015 and 2016 respectively. On the other hand, Gujarat’s tally at present stood at 50 against a figure of 55 and 53 in 2015 and 2016 respectively