Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath along with state party President Mahendra Nath Pandey addresses a press conference in Lucknow, on March 19, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed on March 18, 2019, that there were no riots in the state over the last two years, ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in March 19, 2017. However, 195 communal incidents took place in the state in 2017, the latest available official data show.

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Pradesh ke andar 2012 se lekar agar mein apko dangon ki lambi shrinkhala ke barein mein bataon to 2012 mein Pradesh ke andar 227 bade dange huae the, 2013 mein 247 bade dange hunae the, 2014 mein 242 dange hunae the, 2015 mein 219 aur, 2016 mein bhi sau (100) se adhik dange huae the, jinmein hazaron nirdosh nagrik Pradesh ke mare gaye the, hazaron karodon rupye ki sampati ko nuksan hua tha. Aur, mujhe aaj batate hue prassanata hai, humari sarkar apne do (2) varsh ke karyakal ko samppan kar rahi hai, to do varsh mein Pradesh ke andar ek bhi danga nahi hua.

Claim: “In 2012, there were 227 major riots. In 2013, there were 247 major riots. In 2014, there were 242 riots; in 2015, 219, and in 2016 more than 100 riots took place in which thousands of innocent people were killed, property worth crores was destroyed. Today, I am glad to say that, as our government completes two years of its term, not a single riot has taken place in the state."

Fact: False. As many as 195 communal incidents were reported in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, as per a government reply to the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) on December 11, 2018.

Only the figure for 2013 (247) holds correct of all the riot figures quoted by Yogi Adityanath for the years 2012 to 2016.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) collects data on riots under Sections 147 to 151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while cases pertaining to “promoting enmity on ground of religion, race and place of birth” are reported under Section 153A of the IPC.

As many as 31 communal riots were reported in 2016 in UP, according to NCRB data; 48 in 2015, and 51 in 2014. Prior to 2014, NCRB did not classify communal riots separately.

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Factchecker Team