Washington, D.C. (February 10) – The India Hate Lab (IHL), a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), has released a comprehensive report documenting 1,165 hate speech events targeting religious minorities—primarily Muslims and Christians—across 20 states, two union territories, and the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi in 2024. This marks a 74.4% increase from 2023, when 668 such incidents were recorded.
Of these, 1,147 (98.5%) of speeches targeted Muslims—either explicitly (1,050) or alongside Christians (97)—while 115 (9.9%) targeted Christians, either explicitly (18) or alongside Muslims (97).
The findings of the report highlight a deeply concerning trend of escalating hate speech, particularly in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. With 931 hate speech events (79.9%) occurring in BJP-ruled states or union territories under the BJP-led central government, the data suggests a strong correlation between political control and the prevalence of hate speech. The opposition ruled states recorded 234 (20%) hate speech events.
“Our report clearly demonstrates that anti-minority hate speech is not incidental but follows a deliberate pattern. It is no longer just an instrument of communal polarization but, shockingly, a standard feature of Indian political culture and electoral campaigns, institutional structures, and social fabric,” said Raqib Hameed Naik, the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.
“Modi government’s politicization of religious identity has reshaped public discourse on Muslim identity to such an extent that even leaders from opposition parties have largely refrained from categorically condemning hate speech against Muslims. The lack of public outrage over hate speech suggests the disturbing social acceptance and normalization of the sentiments expressed in such rhetoric. The complicity of Big Tech in enabling hate speech is also very evident from its utter unwillingness to stop the weaponization of its platforms,” Naik added.
BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh topped the list of states with the highest number of hate speech events, collectively accounting for 47% of all recorded events in 2024. The BJP itself was the most frequent organizer, responsible for 340 hate speech events, mostly during general elections between March and June and critical state elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra—a staggering 580% increase from 2023.
Six of the ten most frequent purveyors of hate speech were politicians, including Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah. Adityanath was responsible for 86 (7.4%) hate speech incidents, while Modi delivered 67, accounting for 5.7% of all such speeches in 2024.
Of the 1,165 hate speech events, 995 were first shared or live-streamed on social media, with Facebook leading at 495, followed by YouTube, Instagram, and X. Among 259 dangerous speech incidents, 219 were spread online, primarily via Facebook (164, 74.9%), YouTube (49, 22.4%), and Instagram (6).
Major Findings
● BJP directly governed or ruled in coalition in seven of the ten states with the highest hate speech incidents.
● 685 (58.8%) hate speech gatherings were organized by entities that are part of the broader Sangh Parivar (the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh family), including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal, the BJP, the Sakal Hindu Samaj (SHS) and Durga Vahini.
● 462 (39.7%) hate speeches were delivered by politicians. BJP leaders were responsible for 452 of these speeches. Compared to 2023, when BJP politicians delivered 100 hate speeches, this represents an increase of 352%. .
● 373 (32%) of all hate speech events took place during the 2024 general election, between March 16, when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) went into effect, and June 1, the last phase of elections.
● 114 (9.8%) hate speeches were delivered by Hindu religious preachers, with Mahant Raju Das, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, and Sadhvi Saraswati among the key figures.
● 581 (49.9%) incidents of hate speech in our data set referenced common far-right conspiracy theories, including, but not limited to, “love jihad”, “land jihad,” “population jihad,” and “vote jihad.” Compared to 2023, hate speech events with conspiracy theories increased by 38.3%.
● 259 (22.2%) events featured dangerous speech, which includes explicit calls for violence. Of these, 224 took place in states governed by the BJP or its allies or in union territories where law enforcement and public order fell under the jurisdiction of the BJP-led central government. Compared to 2023, dangerous speech events increased by 8.4%.
● Maharashtra BJP minister Nitish Rane (24 speeches), BJP Telangana legislator T. Raja Singh (22 speeches), and Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP)-Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) chief Pravin Togadia (9 speeches) were among the key figures responsible for delivering dangerous speech in 2024.
● 274 (23.5%) hate speeches called for the seizure, removal, or destruction of places of worship owned by Muslims or Christians. BJP politicians were responsible for 84 of these speeches, while 216 such gatherings were held in states governed by the BJP or its allies. Compared to 2023, hate speeches targeting places of worship rose by 62.1%.
● 123 (10.6%) hate speeches included an explicit call to arms, advocating for Hindus to procure and distribute weapons under the guise of “protection” from members of minority communities. Compared to 2023, such speeches rose by 32.3%.
● 111(9.5%) of hate speeches explicitly called for the social or economic boycott of minority communities, primarily Muslims. Compared to 2023, such speeches rose by 27.6%.
● 118 (10.1%) hate speech events in 2024 targeted the vulnerable Rohingya refugee community, while 182 (15.6%) speeches promoted the “Bangladeshi infiltrator” bogey. Hate speech against Rohingya refugees surged by 210% compared to 2023.
● 995 out of 1,165 hate speech events in 2024 were first shared or live streamed on social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X, with Facebook leading at 495 events.
● Of 259 recorded instances of dangerous speech, including explicit calls for violence, 219 were first shared or live streamed on social media. Facebook accounted for 164 (74.9%), YouTube for 49 (22.4%), and Instagram for 6.
● As of February 6, 2025, only 3 of the reported videos have been removed by Facebook, while the remaining 98.4% continue to stay up across different platforms despite clear violations of community standards.
● Despite being banned under Meta’s Dangerous Individuals and Organizations (DOI) policy, BJP legislator T. Raja Singh continues to have a strong presence on Facebook and Instagram (collective following of over 1.1 million) through an extensive network of proxy accounts, fan pages, and supporter groups.
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Deeksha Udupa
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