Over 2,900 communal violence cases in country in last 5 years: Govt

New Delhi: Over 2,900 cases of communal or religious rioting were registered in the country between 2017 and 2021, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said on Wednesday.

Citing National Crime Records Bureau data, Rai said a total of 378 cases of communal or religious rioting were registered in 2021, 857 in 2020, 438 in 2019, 512 in 2018 and 723 in 2017.

An advisory was issued to the states and union territories on July 4, 2018 asking them to keep a watch on the circulation of fake news and rumours having the potential of inciting violence, take all required measures to counter them effectively and deal firmly with persons taking law into their hands, the minister said in a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha.

Further, advisories were issued on July 23 and September 25 in 2018 to the state governments and administrations of union territories asking them to take measures to curb incidents of mob violence in the country, he said.