Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Around 570 complaints of violence against minorities had reached the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) between 2014-15 and 2024-25, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with 251 complaints during the 11-year period, Parliament has been informed.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs has told the Rajya Sabha in responses to DMK MP P Wilson and CPI(M) MP John Brittas in March that the Union government does not “centrally” maintain specific data regarding violence against minorities. It said the NCM looks into specific complaints.
Minorities Minister Kiren Rijiju also said such petitions are forwarded to concerned authorities of state governments for taking necessary action.
In its reply to Wilson’s written question, Rijiju said 568 complaints had reached the NCM in 11 years. Delhi followed UP in the list of states with 80 complaints, while Madhya Pradesh and Haryana had 33 cases each, and Kerala had 20 complaints, placing them in the top five.
There were ten complaints from Karnataka between 2014-15 and 2024-25. In 2023-24 and 2024-25, no complaints were received from Karnataka.
The highest number of complaints was in 2018-19 when 109 complaints were received by the NCM. In 2014-15, it was 34, while in 2023-24, it was 30, and so far in 2024-25, it is 29.
Though UP tops the list of complaints, the numbers have witnessed a decline since 2020-21. While it recorded a high of 51 in 2017-18 and 54 in 2018-19, it came down to 16 in 2020-21, followed by 13, 9, 4, and 3 in the succeeding years.
“The state governments are competent to deal with offences under the extant provisions of laws, and action is taken as per the existing laws by the law-enforcing agencies whenever instances of violence come to notice,” Rijiju said.
Brittas claimed that the Ministry has categorically stated that maintaining a centralised database on attacks against minorities is "not its mandate," effectively evading responsibility by claiming that law and order is a state subject.
"This evasive stance is in stark contrast to the central government’s existing practice of maintaining a similar database for crimes against SC and ST," he said, urging the Centre to adopt the same approach for minorities as it does for SC/ST communities, ensuring that crimes against minorities are systematically recorded and addressed.