Onus is on state governments to control communal violence, guilty will be punished: PM

Expressing concern over the recent incidents of communal violence in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Monday said the onus for preventing violence and maintaining law and order is the prime responsibility of state governments, and added that the Centre will ensure that the guilty are punished, irrespective of a person's stature or political affiliation.

Addressing the National Integration Council (NIC) here, Dr. Singh said the meeting has special significance in light of the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar District.

"Anyone, from any party, found involved in such incidents, will be punished. The government should do everything to act against those spreading communal violence, no matter how powerful they are," the Prime Minister said.

"Local administrations must respond promptly. It must take strong action against those who are behind communal violence," he added

"The Muzaffarnagar violence led to a huge loss of lives and property. We have seen communal violence in Kashmir and Assam in the past few months. And the government needs to take every step possible to deal with this violence," Dr. Singh further stated.

Putting the onus on the state government to restore law and order in their respective states, Dr. Singh said, "Onus is on state governments to control violence."

"Governments should do everything to act against those who are responsible for inciting communal violence, no matter how powerful they are," he added.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence, which has claimed over 40 lives.

The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.