A new report reveals a staggering rise in hate speech incidents against religious minorities in India, particularly Muslims, with growing involvement from leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist party.
India has experienced a sharp increase in hate speech targeting religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, over the past year, with the majority of these incidents linked to the ideological agenda of the ruling Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to a new report.
The research, released by the Washington-based India Hate Lab, found that hate speech incidents rose by 74% in 2024, with 1,165 incidents reported compared to 668 the year before. Muslims, who make up around 200 million of India’s population, were the primary targets, accounting for about 98% of the incidents. The remaining cases targeted both Muslims and Christians.
The report outlines how the rise in hate speech is deeply tied to the political ambitions of the BJP and its broader Hindu nationalist agenda, which seeks to reshape India into a Hindu-majority nation, or Hindu rashtra, despite the country’s constitutional commitment to secularism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party have long been criticized for fostering religious intolerance, particularly against Muslims, and for failing to curb violence and discrimination targeting minorities.
Modi’s third-term victory in the 2024 elections has intensified concerns, as critics claim his leadership is inciting religious tensions. The report asserts that the BJP’s rise in influence has helped normalize a climate of hate speech, particularly during the election campaign, which saw a marked increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric. According to the report, BJP leaders were directly responsible for 30% of the hate speech incidents, a nearly six-fold increase from the previous year. These included 452 speeches delivered by BJP leaders, marking a 350% rise from 2023.
The BJP, however, has rejected the findings, with national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill dismissing the report as an attempt to harm India’s image. In an interview with CNN, Shergill emphasized that India’s legal system is robust and designed to maintain peace, order, and non-violence, adding that the country does not need external validation.
The report further highlights that the hate speech last year reinforced long-standing stereotypes often promoted by Hindu nationalist groups, portraying Muslims and Christians as “outsiders,” “foreigners,” or “invaders” who do not belong in India. This rhetoric has contributed to a wider societal shift in which religious minorities feel increasingly marginalized.
The BJP’s role in promoting hate speech is compounded by the fact that the party has appointed Hindu nationalists to key government positions, granting them significant influence over policy and legislation that critics argue disproportionately affects Muslims. One example of this is the reworking of textbooks to downplay India’s Islamic history and the renaming of cities and streets with Mughal-era names. Additionally, Muslim-owned properties have been demolished by the government for allegedly encroaching on public land or in response to riots, further stoking tensions.
A particularly controversial moment occurred in 2019 when Modi’s government revoked the special autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, placing it directly under New Delhi’s control. The same year, the government passed a contentious citizenship law that excluded Muslim migrants from a path to citizenship, sparking deadly protests and riots.
Although India’s penal code prohibits hate speech under various sections, legal experts argue that the judiciary has been reluctant to enforce these laws effectively. Anas Tanwir, a lawyer and founder of the Indian Civil Liberties Union, criticized the judicial system for failing to take meaningful action against hate speech, despite the clear legal prohibitions in place.
The India Hate Lab, a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), tracks and reports on hate speech across the world’s largest democracy. According to the lab, hate speech is defined according to the United Nations framework, which includes any communication—be it speech, writing, or behavior—that targets individuals based on their religion using discriminatory or derogatory language. As the number of hate speech incidents continues to rise, the report calls attention to the need for stronger legal frameworks and enforcement to protect religious minorities from increasing hostility.
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