The Congress has always found it convenient to attack the BJP for spreading communal hatred in the country, but the Union Home Ministry's latest data on communal violence is embarrassing for the Grand Old Party.

A look at the Union Home Ministry's data reveals that there is not much difference between the two major national parties when it comes to the law and order situation in their states.

File photo: Scene of devastation after communal riots in Thane, Maharashtra File photo: Scene of devastation after communal riots in Thane, Maharashtra

While there were 664 incidents of communal rioting in Congress-ruled states between 2011 and 2013, the same stands at 651 in the case of states where the BJP holds power.

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala account for most of these communal incidents when it comes to Congress-ruled states. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh (all BJP ruled states) also find place among the severely affected states.

Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh is the worst-hit when it comes to communal unrest. The northern state accounts for nearly 35 per cent of all such incidents reported throughout the country in 2013. After the Muzaffarnagar riots in UP last year, communal tensions escalated in several parts of the country. The Ministry's data shows a significant increase in communal unrest over the last three years, with the figures at 822 (2013), 668 (2012) and 580 (2011).

Citing escalation in communal violence, the UPA government was hoping to get the Communal Violence Bill tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, but the Opposition was successful in scuttling its plan. The opposition parties hold the view that the Bill violates the spirit of federalism since some provisions could lead to the Centre interfering in a state's law and order.

Based on intelligence inputs, the Union Home Ministry has issued alerts to states like UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala.

In the recently held meeting of the National Integration Council chaired by the Prime Minister, the disturbing trend of small incidents leading to major communal flare-ups was extensively discussed by participants. In most of the incidents of communal clashes, small issues left unaddressed by local authorities had snowballed into communal riots.

