There have been 2,900 communal violence cases in the last five years: the government

Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State for Home, said on Wednesday that over 2,900 riots were registered between 2017 and 2021.

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows 378 cases of communal or religious rioting in 2021, 857 in 2020, 438 in 2019, 512 in 2018 and 723 in 2017.

States and union territories were advised on July 4, 2018, to keep an eye out for fake news and rumours that could incite violence, take all measures to combat them effectively, and deal firmly with people taking the law into their hands, the minister said in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.

He said state governments and union territories got advisories on July 23 and September 25 in 2018, asking them to take measures to curb mob violence.