Trends in communal violence in India

India reported 278 communal clashes in the first five months of 2016, according to data released by the home ministry in Parliament this week.

While 38 deaths were reported in the 'incidents', as they are officially called, 903 people were reported to be injured. India witnessed 751 communal clashes in 2015, up from 644 in 2014, say the data.

In the first five months of 2016, Uttar Pradesh (UP), India's most populous state, reported 61 communal clashes, more than any other state, according to the data. UP was followed by Karnataka (40) and Maharashtra (40).