New Delhi: The state where the maximum number of communal riots last year is Uttar Pradesh, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs informed the Lok Sabha.
In the state of UP, 195 communal riots were reported during 2017 as per figures given in a reply to a written query in the house by minister Hanraj Gangaram Ahir.
In the state-wise breakdown of the communal riots, the minister informed that Karnataka had 100, Rajasthan 91, Bihar 85, Madhya Pradesh 60. In all, there were 822 communal incidents in the country during 2017. This was 703 in 2016 and 751 in 2015.
In 2016 also, the highest number of communal riots took place in UP: 162. Then Karnataka had 101, Maharashtra 68, Bihar 65, Rajasthan 63. Hansraj's reply also cited the reasons that led to communal riots as, religious, property ownership disputes, attacks against women, social media propaganda etc.
The minister also told the Lok Sabha that in the past 10 months, there were 1680 custody deaths registered by National Human Rights Commission. Out of this UP had 365 such deaths.