MoS Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said, "Available data shows that there is no common pattern of mob lynching and incidents have happened in different states at different times."
There is no common pattern of mob lynching across the country with incidents occurring in different states ruled by different political dispensations, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said during Question Hour that the BJP government was serious about tackling the issue and the prime minister had expressed concern.
"Available data shows that there is no common pattern of mob lynching and incidents have happened in different states at different times. Incidents have happened in different states ruled by different political parties," he said.
Reddy said such incidents have been reported from Tripura, West Bengal and Kerala and had occurred previously also.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) Ghulam Nabi Azad said during the last five years, incidents of lynching and violence against minorities and Dalits have become too common.
He said these were not shown on television but WhatsApp messages circulating show that minorities were forced to chant slogans by members associated to a political party and asked how many advisories were sent by the Centre to state governments in this regard.
Later Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) raised the issue of communal riots in Muzzaffarnagar, saying 40 accused have been acquitted. He questioned what is being done for witness protection.
To this, Home Minister Amit Shah said the minister concerned can only respond when he has information on the specified time period.
As the discussion continued, the government said that it was committed to uphold constitutional values and rule of law in the country.
MHA further added that there have been very fewer incidents of communal violence in the country and the nation does not witness curfew-like situations anymore.
MoS Home Kishan Reddy said that Centre has "zero tolerance" towards incidents of communal violence and such incidents have shown a declining trend across the country.
Replying to a query, the minister said incidents of communal violence have declined to 708 in 2018 from 823 in 2013.
The discussion on lynching and violence against minorities took place in Rajya Sabha on a day when the film fraternity in an open letter to PM Modi had also raised concerns about the rising incidents of intolerance and lynching in the country.
In an open letter to PM Modi by 49 eminent personalities including — filmmakers, actors, authors, activists, artists, professionals — have raised concern over lynching incidents and rising violence over the chanting of slogan 'Jai Shri Ram' in the country. The celebrities requested the Prime Minister that this must be stopped immediately.
In their open letter which has been signed by celebrities including Anurag Kashyap, Mani Ratnam, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anuradha Kapoor, Adoor Gopalkrishnan, others requested PM Modi that lynching of Muslims, Dalits, other minorities must be stopped and strong action should be taken against the culprits.
Further, the film fraternity had asked the Prime Minister that anyone who raises voice against the ruling party or government should not be branded as anti-national or urban-Naxal.
"People should not be branded as anti-national or urban-Naxals and incarcerated because of dissent against the government. Article 19 of the Constitution of India protect freedom of speech and expression," they wrote in the letter.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)
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