A significant rise in hate speech incidents across India has been documented in 2024, with a Washington-based research organisation reporting a 74.4% increase compared to the previous year. The India Hate Lab’s latest report reveals 1,165 verified instances of hate speech, up from 668 in 2023, with a notable surge during the country’s general election period.
The research indicates that Muslims were the primary targets, accounting for 98.5% of all recorded hate speech incidents. While Muslims were the primary targets, the report documents a sharp increase in anti-Christian rhetoric as well, with 115 hate speech events targeting Christians. This increase correlates directly with a rise in attacks on churches and Christian institutions.
The VHP, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) have aggressively promoted narratives about Christian missionaries allegedly engaging in mass conversions. In one notable incident at a VHP event in Siliguri, West Bengal, in November 2024, a speaker urged activists to “resort to violence if necessary” to stop Christian pastors from entering villages.
Christian schools and churches faced sustained pressure throughout the year. In March 2024, Hindu nationalist groups in Assam posted threats across Christian-run schools, demanding the removal of crosses and religious symbols. In December 2024, a Hindu monk in Rajasthan claimed to have shut down “10-15 churches” and secured the imprisonment of 80 Christian priests. At a Rashtriya Bajrang Dal event in Uttar Pradesh, leaders called for attacks on Catholic schools, labelling them as “centres of religious conversion.”
Speaking to Christian Today India, A.C. Michael, National Coordinator of United Christian Forum, said, “The documented rise in anti-Christian hate speech, with 115 incidents targeting our community, is deeply concerning. When Hindu nationalist groups openly threaten Christian schools and celebrate church closures, it shows this isn’t just about rhetoric – it’s a direct assault on religious freedom. The fact that speakers at political rallies can openly call for violence against pastors without consequences indicates a dangerous normalization of hate.”
According to the report, nearly 80% of these incidents occurred in states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its allies. Three BJP-ruled states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh - accounted for almost half of all documented hate speech events across the country.
The BJP emerged as the largest organiser of hate speech events, directly facilitating 340 gatherings - a striking 580% increase from the 50 events they organised in 2023. The party’s allied organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its militant youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, were responsible for an additional 279 events.
Two key factors shaped the trajectory of hate speech in 2024: the general elections held between April and June, and the state elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand later in the year. Additionally, the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh in August 2024 and subsequent violence against Hindus in that country were reportedly exaggerated and weaponised by Hindu nationalist groups to justify anti-Muslim sentiment in India.
A significant spike in incidents was observed during the general election campaign, with May 2024 recording the highest number at 269 cases. The report identifies Prime Minister Modi’s April 21 speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, as a turning point. Following his remarks, where he allegedly referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and referenced “those with more children,” hate speech incidents increased dramatically, with over 300 such incidents recorded in the subsequent 43 days.
“Readers and listeners of Herr Goebbels on Radio Berlin knew that the ugly words were not to educate them but were an element of state policy of future pogroms,” said Dr. John Dayal, veteran human rights activist and editor, while speaking to Christian Today India.
“The hate speeches, then as now in India or elsewhere are, in a manner, to groom the common people, especially the youth, to be ready for action. Hate speech inevitably leads to targeted violence. When hate speech surges 74% in a single year, with 995 videos still freely circulating on social media, we are witnessing the normalization of violence against minorities, especially Christians and Muslims, but not sparing Sikhs,” Dayal expressed.
The report noted that Modi later attempted to clarify his comments in an interview, claiming they were not aimed at Muslims but towards all poor families. He also stated that he would be “unworthy of public life” the day he brought up Hindu-Muslim divisions. However, the report points out that just days after this claim, Modi accused the opposition INDIA bloc led by Congress of trying to take away reservation benefits from OBC communities to give them to Muslims.
Senior BJP leaders were among the most frequent purveyors of hate speech. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led with 86 speeches, followed by Prime Minister Modi with 67, and Home Minister Amit Shah with 58 instances. Shah was noted to have claimed during one election speech that when the Samajwadi Party governed Uttar Pradesh, power supply was uninterrupted during Ramzan but not during Janmashtami.
The report highlights the role of social media in amplifying these messages. Of the 1,165 documented events, 995 were either shared or live streamed on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Facebook hosted the majority with 495 hate speech videos, while YouTube carried 211. As of February 6, 2025, only three of the reported videos had been removed by Facebook, while 98.4% remained accessible despite clear violations of community standards.
The BJP has strongly rejected the findings. Party spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told CNN: “Today’s India does not need any certification from any ‘anti-India reports industry’ which is run by vested interests to prejudice and dent India’s image.”
The research also revealed concerning patterns in the content of these speeches, with nearly half including conspiracy theories such as “love jihad” and “land jihad” - claims about Muslims allegedly attempting to take over Hindu land or manipulate Hindu women into marriage. The report documented 259 speeches advocating armed mobilisation and 274 specifically targeting religious sites, primarily mosques.
The Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), led by Dhananjay Desai—an individual accused in the 2014 murder of a Muslim tech professional—expanded its operations, coordinating 19 hate speech events. Smaller groups such as the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), Rashtriya Hindu Sher Sena, Shiv Shakti Akhada, and Shri Ram Sena also contributed to spreading anti-Muslim and anti-Christian propaganda.
“This isn't random bigotry – it is orchestrated fearmongering that has already led to attacks on mosques, churches, and communities. The silence of our institutions, including the Presidency and the Courts, in the face of such blatant calls for violence marks a dangerous departure from our constitutional values,” said Dayal
The report highlighted the Election Commission of India’s response to communal campaigning during the elections. Rather than directly addressing candidates making offensive comments, the Commission sent notices to party presidents - in BJP’s case to J.P. Nadda, and in Congress’s case to Mallikarjun Kharge.
One notable exception to the national trend was Karnataka, which saw a 20% decline in hate speech incidents following the Congress party’s victory in the state elections, replacing the previous BJP government. However, even opposition-ruled states weren’t entirely immune, with Himachal Pradesh witnessing a 269% spike in hate speech incidents, mostly driven by far-right groups.
The India Hate Lab, a project under the Washington DC-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate, defines hate speech according to the United Nations framework, which considers any communication that attacks or uses discriminatory language based on a person’s religion. Despite India’s legal prohibitions against hate speech under several sections of its penal code, experts suggest that the judiciary’s reluctance to recognise hate speech offences has contributed to its proliferation.
Anas Tanwir, a lawyer and founder of the Indian Civil Liberties Union, noted that the judiciary has failed to take concrete action against hate speech “despite clear prohibitions under various laws in India.”
