UNION Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday stated that there has been a gradual decline in the number of communal clashes across the country since 2014, while reaffirming that maintenance of law and order falls under the primary jurisdiction of the respective State Governments. “Law and order is fundamentally a subject falling under the jurisdiction of the State Government. While the situation differs if President’s Rule is in force, otherwise, the responsibility for maintaining public order and law and order rests solely with the states,” said Rijiju. “Whether it be the riots of 1984, the events in Gujarat, or other major communal disturbances, records of all such incidents exist. However, minor incidents often do not appear with the same clarity in official records, or public awareness regarding them remains limited.

 

As far as national statistics are concerned, according to the records available to us, there has been a gradual decline in the number of communal clashes since 2014,” added Rijiju. Speaking at the State Minorities Commissions Conference, Rijiju highlighted the critical role played by social media platforms in amplifying incidents of communal tension in the country. He noted that while information circulates with immense speed across digital spaces, certain elements routinely weaponise this speed to sensationalise or exaggerate localised events, hence, it tends to severely undermine communal harmony in the country. “In the past, social media did not exist. If an incident occurred in Tamil Nadu, people in Kashmir might not have even become aware of it. If something transpired in West Bengal, the news would often remain confined within the borders of Rajasthan,” said Rijiju.