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Fewer civilian deaths during UPA rule: Home Ministry

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: As many as 18,350 civilians died during the past nine years in 61,226 incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, north-east, naxal-affected States and communal flare-ups.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil may be facing flak for a string of recent terror attacks, but his Ministry has quickly compiled statistics of violent incidents and civilian deaths for two periods – 1999 to 2003 of the BJP-led NDA rule and 2004 to 2008 – to show that incidents of violence were actually on the lower side during the UPA rule. While during 1999-2003, the number of civilian deaths were put at 11,714 in 36,259 incidents of violence, the 2004-2008 period witnessed 6,636 civilian deaths in 24,967 incidents, showing a substantial decline.

In Jammu and Kashmir, in 18,106 incidents as many as 4,519 civilians lost their lives during 1999-2003, while in the 2004-2008 period the number of incidents in the State came down to 7,769 resulting in 1883 civilian deaths.

Similarly, in the north-eastern States, in 7,697 incidents of violence 3,051 civilian deaths occurred during 1999-2003 while during 2004-2008 the region saw 6,498 incidents of violence which resulted in 1,899 civilian deaths.

In 3,761 incidents of communal violence as many as 1959 civilians lost their lives during 1999-2003, but the number of incidents came down marginally to 3,472 during 2004-2008 and the civilian deaths dropped to 573.

However, 2004-2008 witnessed a higher number of incidents of naxal violence – 7,228 in which 2,281 civilians died. During 1999-2003, the number of incidents of naxal violence were put at 5,695 resulting in 2,185 civilian deaths.

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