Communal violence spiked in 2017, rising by 17 percent, with the number of incidents increasing to 822 instances, from 2016’s 703 incidents.
The rise effectively stops the downward trend of 2016, when communal clashes had seen a dip from 2015’s 751 incidents. With this, 2017 has recorded the highest number of such incidents in the last three years.
In 2017, over 111 persons were killed and at least 2,384 persons were injured in violence stemming out of communal clashes. This is a sharp spike from 2016, when 86 persons were killed and 2,321 persons were injured in similar instances.
The numbers were made available by Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of communal riots in 2017. The state saw 195 incidents that resulted in the death of 44 persons and injured 452 persons. The 195 deaths in the state account for around 40 percent of the countrywide deaths from communal violence.
The same year, Karnataka recorded the second-highest number, with 100 communal riots, where 9 persons died and 229 were injured. The third-highest number of communal clashes were recorded in Rajasthan, where the number stood at 91 incidents resulting in 12 deaths. Over 170 persons were injured in communal clashes in the state. According to The Times of India, Rajasthan is followed by Bihar with 85 incidents, where 3 persons were killed and 321 were injured.
Meanwhile, Delhi witnessed a dip in the incidence of communal violence, with 3 instances in 2017 as against 7 in 2016. While one person was killed and seven persons were injured in 2017, over 29 persons were injured in 2016, noted The Times of India.
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