MHA STATISTICS: UP witnessed maximum communal riots in last two years, Gujarat ranks no 5

New Delhi: Elections 2014 is almost equivalent to a mudslinging match, the political parties are digging up dirt on their opponents to take them down this election season. BJP’s PM candidate may have n immaculate image as far as corruption is concerned but the blot of 2002 Gujarat riots are hard for Modi to shake off. Narendra Modi has been targeted over the riots for over a decade, he is strongly criticised over his incompetence to take stock of the situation. SP supremo, Mulyam Singh too has attacked Modi over the issue, but as per the statistics released by the home ministry, the figures of communal riots in Uttar Pradesh in the last two years of SP’s reign is much more than that of Gujarat, in fact in 2013 the percentage of riots increased by 25%.

If facts and figures are to be compared, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed more communal riots in Akhilesh’s reign than Gujarat did in Modi’s reign. In 2012-2013, Uttar Pradesh was top of the list of the states witnessing maximum riots Gujarat ranked fifth in the same list. In 2012 the state of Uttar Pradesh reported 118 communal clashes, Gujarat reported 57 clashes while in 2013 UP registered 247 of such incidents, Gujarat on the other hand saw 68 riots. 118 people lost their lives in communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh in the year 2012 and 247 deaths were reported as a result of communal outbreak in 2013. While in Gujarat 5 and 68 people lost their lives in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Uttar Pradesh, a key state in the race for power in New Delhi, is witnessing a resurgence of communal politics after a brief lull in the early 2000s. While the Samajwadi Party’s attempts to win back Muslim support seem to have hit a roadblock after the Muzaffarnagar riots, the Bharatiya Janata Party hopes to revive its earlier appeal by promoting Narendra Modi and the Hindutva agenda. Though the earlier weakening of identity politics was expected to bring in a development-oriented politics, the state remains underdeveloped and caught between political parties that still play the same old electoral cards of division and promotion of strife. These riots are seen as the political parties ploy to gain in these election. As per home ministry’s records, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat are not the only states who feature in the list of escalating communal violence, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar too witnessed increased communal clashes in 2012-2013.

Karnataka reported 69 and 73 incidents in the year 2012 and 2013 respectively. While Bihar reported 21 incidents in 2012 in which three people dies and 172 were injured, in 2013 63 communal clashes were reported and seven people lost their lives and 283 people were injured. The breakup of Muslim votes in 2004 and 2009 elections in Uttar Pradesh. 2004 Congress – 14.3% BJP – 2.5% BSP – 10.10% SP – 61.6% Others – 11.4% 2009 Congress – 24.6 % BJP – 5 % BSP – 18.5 % SP – 30.20% Others- 21.7 % The breakup of Muslim votes in 2004 and 2009 elections in Gujarat. 2004 Congress – 61.9 % BJP – 18.9% Others- 19.6% 2009 Congress – 66.7% BJP – 12.4% Others – 21%