Incidents of communal violence was down in last 2 years: Government

NEW DELHI: Incidents of communal violence in the country has "declined" during the last two years and 644 such incidents were reported in 2014, Parliament was told today.

"As per information available, the number of incidents have declined from the last two years," Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

The information, he said, is based on the data maintained by the Union Home Ministry.

According to the written reply, in 2014, Uttar Pradesh had seen the highest number of 133 incidents of communal violence followed by Maharashtra at 97, Gujarat 74, Karnataka 73, Rajasthan 72, Bihar 61 and Madhya Pradesh 56.

During this year, 95 people were killed in such violence, the highest number of 26 being in UP and 1921 sustained injuries across the coutry.

Under the Prime Minister's new 15-point programme for welfare of minorities, he said the government has issued guidelines on communal harmony.