According to a February 2024 Reuters report, anti-Muslim hate speech in India rose by 62% in the second half of 2023 compared to the first six months of the year. The India Hate Lab, a Washington-based research group, documented 668 hate speech incidents targeting Muslims in 2023. Of these, 255 occurred in the first half of the year, while 413 took place in the last six months of 2023. About 75%, or 498, of those incidents took place in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to the report. The states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh accounted for the most hate speech. In January 2024, the India Hate Lab website became inaccessible in India, though it remains available outside the country. This came shortly after government officials warned the platform’s founder that it might be blocked.

Read More