Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said that the Uttar Pradesh government had been forewarned about the possibility of communal violence rising in the state ahead of the next national elections. “As elections are approaching, I had already assessed that there would increase in communal tension in the country…We have information that some people will try to create disturbances,” he told CNN-IBN. However, he refused to blame any party for the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh. The Muzaffarnagar police has said that 28 persons were killed in the communal violence and the army has been called out to maintain the peace in the area. The number of cases of communal disturbances have increased in UP this year, Shinde said. [caption id=“attachment_1095033” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Shinde said that there have been warnings that communal violence will rise ahead of the polls. PTI[/caption] When asked about the Uttar Pradesh governor’s report in which he has reportedly blamed the state for the communal violence, Shinde said,“I have spoken to the governor, I haven’t read his report.” The IB (intelligence Bureau) has been giving information to 11 states that there are likely to be communal disturbances, the Home Minister said. “I talked to UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and told him that tension is rising and arrangements need to be made. He said he would. Home secretary had already alerted the paramilitary and CRPF forces and sent them there. We have also told the state that they can ask for any help that is needed,” Shinde said. He said he hadn’t heard of various political leaders calling for president’s rule in the state.