Perhaps for the first time, the Home Ministry has identified the religion of victims of communal violence, saying 107 people lost their lives in riots this year, of whom 66 were Muslims and 41 were Hindus.
A document released by the Home Ministry said there were 479 riots in the country, including in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, till September 15 in which 107 people lost their lives.
UP recorded the highest number of casualties -- 62 -- among all states, of whom 42 were Muslims and 20 were Hindus. There were 93 riots in UP in the first nine months of 2013 in addition to 108 incidents of tension in the state.
Altogether 1,697 people were injured in communal disturbances in the country this year, of whom 794 were Hindus and 703 were Muslims. Among the injured this year, there were 200 policemen.
A total of 219 Muslims and 134 Hindus were injured in riots in Uttar Pradesh in 2013.
Bihar, which saw 40 communal disturbances and 25 incidents of tension-like situation in 2013, recorded nine death in riots, of whom five were Hindus and four were Muslims. Among the injured in Bihar, 123 were Hindus and 66 were Muslims, while 19 were from the police department.
In Gujarat, there were 54 cases of communal violence and 21 of tension in 2013 in which six people lost their lives of whom three each were Hindus and Muslims. Of the injured in Gujarat, 85 were Hindus, 57 Muslims and five were police personnel.
There were 56 communal disturbances and 100 incidents of tension in Maharashtra this year, in which three Hindus and seven Muslims were killed. Of the injured, 101 were Hindus, 106 Muslims and 64 policemen.
The Home Ministry statistics said there were 640 incidents of communal disturbances in the country in 2012, in which 93 people lost their lives of whom 48 were Muslims, 44 Hindus and one was policeman.
A total of 2,067 people were injured in the riots in 2012 of whom 1,010 were Hindus, 787 Muslims, 222 policemen and 48 others.
The highest number of 39 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh in 117 incidents of communal disturbance in 2012, of whom 20 were Hindus and 19 Muslims.
Among the injured, 266 were Hindus, 197 Muslims and 25 were policemen.
In Maharashtra, there were 94 riots and 208 incidents of tension in 2012, in which 15 people lost their lives. Of them, nine were Muslims and six Hindus.
Among the injured, 110 were Muslims, 97 Hindus, 44 policemen and 29 others.
There were 89 incidents of communal disturbance and 92 of tension in Madhya Pradesh in 2012, in which four Hindus and five Muslims were killed.
146 Hindus, 80 Muslims and 15 policemen suffered injuries in these incidents.
In West Bengal, there were 23 cases of communal disturbance and 21 of tension in 2012, in which eight Muslims and one Hindu were killed, while 38 Muslims and 19 Hindus suffered injuries.
There were 20 riots and 30 incidents of tension in Bihar in 2012 which led to the death of three Hindus.
A total of 87 Hindus and 52 Muslims were injured in the incidents of communal disturbance in the state last year.
In Gujarat, there were 57 incidents of communal disturbance and 20 of tension in 2012 in which four Hindus and one Muslim were killed.
Among the injured in the state, 82 were Hindus, 91 Muslims and 28 were policemen. Reacting to the release of the data by Home Ministry identifying the religion of victims of communal violence, former Union Home Minister R K Singh said it was not proper to do so.
"In government, you do not do anything community wise. You do not identify the communities. That is the essence of a secular government," he said.