File photo: PM Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi seen consoling a man during their visit to Muzaffarnagar.
As Uttar Pradesh struggles with the aftermath of communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar that left nearly 50 dead and 40,000 in relief camps, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday expressed concern over the "heightened communal tension" and said it was the duty of every Indian to resist communal forces.
"We meet today amidst heightened communal tension in some parts of the country. These are sad developments. It should make us reflect on our obligation to promote goodwill in the society," the PM said at an event on communal harmony in Delhi. (
Read full speech)
"Only a small group of people are responsible for creating division in society"
The Prime Minister said he had called a meeting of the National Integration Council, a grouping of senior politicians and public figures in India, on Monday.
The riots in UP broke out after the killing of three young men in village Kawal of Muzaffarnagar - two Jats and one Muslim. A fake video of the alleged killings and rumours fed the simmering tension between two communities, which led to clashes in several villages.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had recently spoken about fear of more communal clashes in the run-up to next year's elections.
The Centre has urged all 28 states to strengthen and revitalise local "peace communities" in rural areas which have representatives from different communities and have in the past been effective in containing and resolving conflicts.