At least 2,900 incidences of rioting or violence between religious communities were filed in India between 2017 and 2021, according to the Indian government’s data from the National Crime Records Bureau.
The data was cited by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai in a reply in Rajya Sabha.
In 2021, 378 incidences of communal or religious rioting were reported, compared to 857 in 2020, 438 in 2019, 512 in 2018, and 723 in 2017, according to the data.
Rai said that “a decrease was recorded in such cases in 2021 compared to the previous years.”
According to NCRB data, 100 of the 378 instances in 2021 were registered in Jharkhand, 77 in Maharashtra, and 22 in Rajasthan. This was followed by 51 in Maharashtra, 51 in Bihar, and 40 in Haryana.
He also stated that the NCRB did not keep separate records on cases of mob lynching.
Rai stated that on July 4, 2018, an advisory was sent to states and union territories to keep a close eye on the propagation of fake news and rumors that could incite violence, to take all necessary measures to successfully fight them, and to act harshly with those who break the law.