Thirteen opposition leaders of India, including Congress President Sonia Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, today issued a joint statement against growing incidents of hate speech and communal violence in parts of the country.

They said the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "has failed to speak against the words and actions of those who propagate bigotry and those who by their words and actions incite and provoke our society."

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"This silence is an eloquent testimony to the fact that such private armed mobs enjoy the luxury of official patronage,'' alleged the statement.

"We strongly condemn the recent outburst of communal violence witnessed across several states in the country. We are deeply concerned as reports indicate that there is a sinister pattern in the areas where these incidents have occurred. Incendiary hate speeches preceded the aggressive armed religious processions unleashing communal violence," the statement said.

The other political leaders who have signed the statement include Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister M K Stalin, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.

The joint statement came a few days after violence was reported from parts of BJP-ruled states Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka among other areas around Ram Navami on Sunday last, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

It voiced concern that growing incidents of hate speech by people who appear to have official patronage and against whom, it said, "no meaningful and strong action is being taken".