Those guilty of communal violence will be punished: PM

He added that the government needed to take every step possible to deal with such violence

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday expressed concern over the increasing incidents of communal violence and said government will ensure those guilty are punished.

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Integration Council (NIC) meet here, the prime minister said the meet had a special significance in light of the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

At least 48 people were killed in communal clashes that broke out in Muzaffarnagar Sep 7.

"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," the prime minister said.

"The government needs to take every step possible to deal with this violence," he said.