Orissa has become the top most state in terms of communal violence in India. Orissa has registered 158 cases of communal violence, the highest among all states in the country, according to the Centre. This is the figure for the year 2008.

The number of such cases registered in the first nine months of the year were more than all such incidents reported in the state from 2000 to 2007.

The state recorded 158 cases of communal violence till September this year while the number of cases stood at 151 in the seven-year period till the end of 2007, according to a statement issued by the government.

With respect to casualty as well, Orissa recorded the highest 41 deaths this year.

For the period 2000-2007, the toll due to communal violence remained at 22, the period under the present BJD-BJP government led by Naveen Patnaik.

The country witnessed 6,464 incidents till 2000, including 693 incidents this year. While 2393 people were killed, about 21,077 people were injured in these violent incidents. About 116 people were killed and 1680 injured this year alone, the statement said.

Orissa is followed by Madhya Pradesh where 99 such incidents occurred this year and 19 people were killed. Uttar Pradesh is not far behind in the list as the state recorded 78 incidents of communal violence that claimed 11 lives. Maharashtra has witnessed 74 incidents this year alone while state recorded 1,046 incidents of communal violence since 2000 in which 151 people have been killed.

In Gujarat, 61 such incidents occurred in the last nine months which claimed four lives and injured 194 people.

About 1,092 people, including 977 alone in 2002, lost their lives and 4,021 were injured due to violence between communities in the state since 2000, the statement said.

Six states-- Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland -- did not witness a single incident of communal violence in the last 8 years.

However, states like Tripura, Uttaranchal and Goa have witnessed stray cases of communal violence.