Though 2015 saw a rise in communal violence compared to 2014, it was lower than the 823 communal incidents, 133 deaths and 2269 injured in 2013, largely on account of the Mozaffarnagar communal riots.

States, which saw the maximum communal incidents, were Uttar Pradesh (UP) (155), Karnataka (105), Maharashtra (105), Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) (92), Bihar (71), Rajasthan (65), and Gujarat (55). While Samajwadi Party and Congress rule U.P. and Karnataka respectively, the Bhartya Janata Party (BJP) rules M.P., Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat. A year on year comparison shows that communal incidents in M.P. saw a sharp increase from 56 in 2014 to 92 in 2015, such incidents declined in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

U.P. maintained its position with the highest communal violence, also showed higher such incidents (155 in 2015 compared to 133 in 2014) and number of injured up from 374 in 2014 to 419 in 2015. In fact, the number of injured in 2015 was higher than even 2013, when Mozaffarnagar communal riots contributed to 360 injuries.

Meanwhile, Bihar witnessed 71 communal incidents and 20 deaths in 2015, up from 61 incidents and five deaths in 2014. West Bengal saw 100 per cent rise in communal incidents from 16 in 2014 to 32 in 2015. The National Capital Territory of Delhi witnessed a sharp decline in communal violence in 2015 with five such incidents and 16 injured in 2015 against seven incidents and 104 injured in 2014.

During the year 2015, the activities of all religious fundamentalist organizations or groups, having a bearing on peace, communal harmony and security of India were under constant watch of law enforcement agencies and appropriate action was taken wherever necessary.

The MHA declared SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for a further period of five years from February 1, 2014, which was approved later by the Government of India constituted Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal under Delhi High Court judge Justice Suresh Kait for adjudicating whether there was sufficient cause for declaring SIMI as unlawful.

As for the Ram Janma Bhumi-Babari Masjid issue, following the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court final majority judgement, order and decree on September 30, 2010, all three parties, Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara were declared joint titleholders of the property/premises in dispute. Accordingly, all the three parties have one third of the share of total disputed property or premises. However, appeals from the contesting parties in the Supreme Court resulted in staying the impugned judgement of Allahabad High Court and maintaining status quo. The Central Government, in compliance of the Supreme Court orders, as a statutory receiver of the disputed land at Ayodhya under the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993, has been maintaining status quo on the disputed site in coordination with the State Government of Uttar Pradesh and the authorized person, Commissioner, Faizabad Division, Faizabad.

Meanwhile, the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an organization under the aegis of the MHA, continued promoting communal harmony and national integration from different platforms including educational institutions across the country, urging people to respect time tested civilisational strength of India, the unity amidst diversity and tolerance, for peace and progress of the nation!