BJP claims more communal clashes broke out in Karnataka than Kerala under Congress rule; numbers state otherwise

By Vipul Vivek New Delhi: On 6 March, 2018, the Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tweeted that the state had seen more communal clashes than Kerala, and only Hindus had been victims in all communal clashes Karnataka had seen in the last five years. “Does it not indicate at (sic) systematic and planned execution of Hindus at the hands of Islamic jihadi radicals,” the Karnataka BJP  tweeted about the Congress government’s rule in the state. We fact-checked the claims and found one to be false and another unclear. Claim 1: Karnataka has surpassed Kerala in incidents of communal clashes.

Karnataka has surpassed Kerala in instances of communal clashes. It is saddening to see the loss of face of our dear state. The Cong curse on Karnataka must be washed off at the earliest. #JihadiMuktaKarnataka must be built at the earliest.

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) March 6, 2018

Fact: False. Karnataka has been among the top five states by the number of communal incidents reported since 2008, IndiaSpend  reported. In this period, Kerala has reported far fewer incidents and injuries, home ministry data show (click  here,  here,  here,  here and  here). Before Siddaramaiah was  sworn in as the chief minister on 13 May, 2013, the state was ruled by the BJP under  three chief ministers – BS Yeddyurappa, DV Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar – during its five-year rule beginning 2008.

<a href=’#’><img alt=‘Dashboard 1 ’ src=‘https://public.tableau.com/static/images/ka/karnatakaweb/Dashboard1/1_rss.png’ style=‘border: none’ /></a>

Source: Lok Sabha replies on February 6, 2018, August 8, 2017, December 2, 2014, May 7, 2013 and August 10, 2010

Claim 2: Only Hindus have been victims in the communal clashes Karnataka has seen in last five years. “Does it not indicate at (sic) systematic and planned execution of Hindus at the hands of Islamic jihadi radicals?” Fact: Unclear. There is no religion-wise break-up of victims of communal clashes in the state in the last five years. The author is an analyst with IndiaSpend and FactChecker.