At Least 31 Killed in Muslim-Hindu Sectarian Violence in India

Political parties blame each other

India's political parties blamed each other for religious riots that killed at least 31 people and forced hundreds to flee from their homes on the weekend, in a sign of rising tension between Hindus and Muslims ahead of a general election due by May.

Police evacuated both Hindus and Muslim villagers on Monday in the district of Muzaffarnagar, 127 km (80 miles) northeast of New Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh and at the epicentre of some of the worst communal violence in years.