Srinagar, Dec. 30 -- National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the Centre should impress upon state governments to stop incidents of communal violence when they take place in their respective territories.

"It is the duty of the Centre to tell the states that such incidents should be stopped," Abdullah told reporters at the party headquarters in Srinagar.

He was commenting on an incident of alleged stone-pelting on a mosque and madrassa in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

"There are evil people around and they will always be there. We have impressed upon the Centre repeatedly that India is a secular country and the Constitution gives people of all faiths a right to practice their religion," the former chief min...