Government Dodges Questions on Minority Violence Since 2020

New Delhi: The Union government has come under criticism for dodging crucial questions in the Rajya Sabha on violence against minority communities. CPI M MP John Brittas, supported by A A Rahim, had sought year-wise and state-wise data on such incidents since 2020, the reasons behind their rise, and the measures taken to ensure minority safety.

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, avoided two of the three questions. Instead of providing figures on actual violence, he cited numbers of petitions received by the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), effectively sidestepping Brittas’s demand for hard data.

On causes of the rise in violence, Rijiju gave no response, and on preventive measures, he merely reiterated that “Public Order” and “Police” are state subjects, with NCM petitions forwarded to local authorities.

According to NCM data, the states topping the list from 2020 to 2025 (up to August 12, 2025) were Uttar Pradesh (16 in 2020–21, 13 in 2021–22, 9 in 2022–23), Delhi (10 in 2020–21, 9 in 2021–22, 4 in 2022–23, 5 in 2023–24, 9 in 2024–25, 8 in 2025–26), West Bengal (4 in 2022–23), Maharashtra (5 in 2023–24, 5 in 2024–25), and Punjab (4 in 2023–24, 2 in 2025–26).

By refusing to provide actual violence figures, ignoring causes, and offering only routine forwarding of petitions to states, Rijiju’s response was widely seen as evasive, leaving Parliament and the public without clarity on the scale of violence against minorities.