According to a recent survey, hate speech against minorities increased by 74% in India in 2024, reaching a climax around the national elections.
Politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, were among the most frequent spreaders of hate speech, according to the report, which was published on Monday by the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab. It documented 1,165 such incidents last year.
With 98.5% of hate speech incidents reported against them, Muslims were the group most frequently attacked.
According to the research, the majority of hate speech incidents took place in states that were controlled by Modi’s party or a larger alliance.
A number of spokespersons for Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been contacted by the news to comment on the India Hate Lab findings.
