Incidents of communal violence go up in first six months of 2015

Incidents of communal violence in the country have gone up in the first six months of 2015 compared to the corresponding period last year, with 330 riots reported till June this year in which 51 people lost their lives.

According to Home Ministry data, there were 330 incidents of communal violence between January and June, 2015 in comparison to 252 in the first six months of 2014. Altogether 51 people have lost their lives and 1,092 others injured in communal violence so far this year.

As many as 33 people had lost their lives in first six months of last year. There were 644 riots in the entire 2014 in which 95 people were killed and 1,921 injured. Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of 68 such incidents in which 10 people were killed and 224 injured. There were 133 riots in UP in 2014 in which 26 people lost their lives and 374 wounded.

JD(U)-ruled Bihar has witnessed 41 incidents till June 2015 in which 14 people lost their lives and 169 others were injured. There were 61 riots in Bihar in 2014 in which 5 people were killed and 294 others injured.
BJP-ruled Gujarat has reported 25 incidents of communal violence between January and June 2015 in which 7 people were killed and 79 others wounded. In 2014, there were 74 incidents of riots in Gujarat in which 7 people lost their lives and 215 others were injured.

Maharashtra, another BJP-ruled state, has witnessed 59 incidents of communal violence till June this year in which 4 people were killed and 196 injured. There were 97 riots in Maharashtra in 2014 in which 12 people were killed and 198 injured. Congress-ruled Karnataka saw 36 such incidents in which two people were killed and 123 others injured. In 2014, there were 73 cases of riots in Karnataka in which 6 people lost their lives while 177 were injured.