Lok Sabha Question No. 590 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-06
Subject: Riots and Communal Violence
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: G. HARI, T.G. VENKATESH BABU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 590

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 06 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018/ MEGHA 17, 1939 (SAKA) RIOTS AND COMMUNAL VIOLENCE

590.  SHRI G. HARI:

SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  incidents  of  riots/communal  violence  are  on  the  rise  in  the country and if so, the reasons therefor;

- (b) the total number  of riots/communal violence reported, persons killed/injured, damages to property, guilty arrested and the action taken against  them  separately  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, State-wise including Maharashtra;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  assisted  the  States  to  control  the violence  and  initiate  action  against  the  organizations/individuals  who indulged in such violence and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has directed the police departments to take the strongest action in case of riots/communal violence and desecration of religious places and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  other  corrective  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  check  the recurrence of such cases in future?

ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a)  to  (c)      As  per  the  available  information,  the  State-wise  details  of communal incidents, persons killed/injured therein during 2015, 2016 and 2017 is enclosed at Annexure-I.

'Public Order' and 'Police' are State subjects as per the provisions of the Constitution of India.  The responsibilities of maintaining law and order, including  investigation,  registration/prosecution  of  crimes,  conviction  of accused,    protection  of    life  and  property  etc.  and  maintaining  relevant data rest

## LS.USQ.No.590 FOR 06.02.2018

primarily with the respective State Governments.  The details regarding persons  arrested/convicted,  action  taken  against  them,  organizations involved, damages to property etc. are not maintained centrally. (d)  to (e) In  order  to  maintain  communal  harmony  in  the  country,  the Central Government assists the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations in a variety of ways like sharing of intelligence, sending alert messages, advisories etc. from time to time on important developments  having  bearing  on  communal  harmony.    The  Central Government on the requests of the States/Union Territories, sends Central Armed Police Forces, including the composite Rapid Action Force, created specially to deal with communal situation.

The Central Government has issued the Communal Harmony Guidelines in 2008, which inter-alia lay down standard operating procedures to be put  in  place  to  deal  with  the  situations  arising  out  of communal violence. These guidelines are aimed to maintain due vigilance, careful  planning  and  preparatory  measures  which  may  prevent  and  preempt  many  possible  incidents  of  communal  violence.    These  guidelines are  reiterated  while  sending  advisories  from  time  to  time,  particularly prior  to  various  religious  festivals,  with  the  objective  of  immediate sensitization.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 590 FOR  06.02.2018 SHOWING NUMBER OF COMMUNAL INCIDENTS, NUMBER OF PERSONS KILLED/INJURED DURING THE YEARS 2015, 2016 and 2017

|                   | 2015      | 2015           | 2016            | 2016      | 2016           | 2016            | 2017      | 2017           | 2017            |
|-------------------|-----------|----------------|-----------------|-----------|----------------|-----------------|-----------|----------------|-----------------|
| State             | Incidents | Persons Killed | Persons Injured | Incidents | Persons Killed | Persons Injured | Incidents | Persons Killed | Persons Injured |
| A &NIslands       | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Andhra Pradesh    | 4         | 0              | 3               | 1         | 0              | 15              | 1         | 0              | 0               |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Assam             | 3         | 0              | 10              | 12        | 3              | 19              | 16        | 4              | 45              |
| Bihar             | 71        | 20             | 282             | 65        | 4              | 230             | 85        | 3              | 321             |
| Chandigarh        | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Chhattisgarh      | 2         | 0              | 10              | 2         | 0              | 6               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Delhi             | 5         | 0              | 16              | 7         | 0              | 29              | 3         | 1              | 7               |
| D &NHaveli        | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Daman &Diu        | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Goa               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Gujarat           | 55        | 8              | 163             | 53        | 6              | 116             | 50        | 8              | 125             |
| Haryana           | 3         | 0              | 107             | 2         | 0              | 3               | 4         | 1              | 7               |
| Himachal Pradesh  | 1         | 1              | 4               | 2         | 1              | 1               | 1         | 0              | 33              |
| J&K               | 4         | 1              | 9               | 10        | 0              | 11              | 8         | 0              | 19              |
| Jharkhand         | 28        | 3              | 118             | 24        | 5              | 110             | 49        | 2              | 204             |
| Karnataka         | 105       | 8              | 337             | 101       | 12             | 248             | 100       | 9              | 229             |
| Kerala            | 3         | 0              | 3               | 6         | 0              | 10              | 12        | 1              | 28              |
| Lakshadweep       | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 92        | 9              | 177             | 57        | 3              | 191             | 60        | 9              | 191             |
| Maharashtra       | 105       | 14             | 323             | 68        | 6              | 234             | 46        | 2              | 136             |
| Manipur           | 0         | 0              | 0               | 7         | 5              | 73              | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Meghalaya         | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Mizoram           | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Nagaland          | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Odisha            | 0         | 0              | 0               | 4         | 0              | 36              | 4         | 0              | 0               |
| Puducherry        | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Punjab            | 0         | 0              | 0               | 1         | 0              | 1               | 1         | 0              | 8               |
| Rajasthan         | 65        | 5              | 150             | 63        | 5              | 117             | 91        | 12             | 175             |
| Sikkim            | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               | 0         | 0              | 0               |
| Tamil Nadu        | 3         | 0              | 1               | 8         | 1              | 36              | 11        | 0              | 27              |
| Telangana         | 11        | 1              | 27              | 8         | 1              | 9               | 19        | 3              | 44              |
| Tripura           | 0         | 0              | 0               | 1         | 0              | 27              | 1         | 1              | 8               |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 155       | 22             | 419             | 162       | 29             | 488             | 195       | 44             | 542             |
| Uttarakhand       | 9         | 0              | 21              | 7         | 1              | 59              | 7         | 2              | 5               |
| West Bengal       | 27        | 5              | 84              | 32        | 4              | 252             | 58        | 9              | 230             |
| Total             | 751       | 97             | 2264            | 703       | 86             | 2321            | 822       | 111            | 2384            |