With sharp rise in incidents of communal violence,the Home Ministry issued advisories to 11 communal sensitive states asking them to observe heightened vigil. According to Home Ministry statistics,the case of Muzaffarnagar in UP has so far been the worst as violence spread to rural areas for the first time,resulting in more than 50 deaths. Alarmed with the figures,the National Integration Council (NIC) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh passed a series of resolutions Monday to curb such incidents.
In UP alone,there were 62 deaths reported till September 15. Congress-ruled Maharashtra also reported incidents of communal violence where 10 persons were killed and 271 persons injured during riots in Dhule and Mumbai. Interestingly,Gujarat this year has reported few incidents of violence where six persons were killed and 147 injured. Last year,Gujarat had 5 deaths and over 500 were injured. Madhya Pradesh witnessed eight deaths in the first eight months of 2013 as compared to nine deaths in 2012.
Jammu and Kashmir showed a phenomenal rise in incidents. In 2012 there were only two incidents reported in Kargil and Rajouri in which 20 people were injured. The figures this year are much higher and according to MHA,violence has been recorded in Doda,Kargil and Kishtwar in which three were killed and 59 injured. J&K CM Omar Abdullah said,We need to be fully alive to the situation and take precautionary measures to maintain law and order and promote communal harmony at the state and at the national level.
A new trend of violence was witnessed in Meghalaya and other parts of Northeast this year. The MHA said violence involving Garo Muslims left 10 killed and four injured in South Garo hills and 3 injured in South West Garo hills. Last year,a spurt in violence was noticed in Assam where 109 persons were killed and 129 injured. This year 32 deaths and three injuries have so far been reported.
BJP MLA booked under NSA
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som who was arrested on Saturday for allegedly uploading a fake video that provoked communal tension in Muzaffarnagar and also for making provocative speeches at a Mahapanchayat on September 7. Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said NSA had been invoked against Som,the BJP legislator from Sardhana in Meerut,currently lodged in Orai district jail,on the basis of cases registered against him. Soms lawyer Anil Jindal said they will challenge the government action at appropriate level. ENS