A maximum of 247 communal violence-related incidents, which claimed 77 lives, took place in Uttar Pradesh in 2013, the government told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Maharashtra came next with 88 communal violence incidents followed by Madhya Pradesh (84), Karnataka (73), Gujarat (68), Bihar (63) and Rajasthan (52).
While 12 people were killed in Maharashtra in these incidents, 11 people were killed in MP during the same period.
Uttar Pradesh also recorded a maximum of 360 people being injured in these incidents during 2013. The state also registered a maximum of 118 communal incidents during 2012 in which 39 people were killed and 500 were injured.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Home R. P. N Singh in a written reply.
To another question, the Minister said as per the latest available information received from Uttar Pradesh, 2,516 people are still living in two regular relief camps and four satellite camps in Shamli district.
“No relief camp is reported to be operative in Muzaffarnagar district,” he said.
Mr. Singh said that the state government had earlier reported to the Home Ministry that 58 camps were set up in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts for the riot-affected persons in which about 50,955 persons were sheltered.
The Minister also said there was no documentary evidence to record the number of deaths amongst children.
“As per report from the state government, the death of 33 children up to the age of 15 years was reported to a committee set up by the state government in response to directions of the Supreme Court in a writ petition.
“However, there was no available documentary evidence for the number of deaths as well as reasons for the same. The action against the administration rests with the state government only,” the Minister said in response to a question about the reasons for possible child deaths in these camps.
