The cases of hate speeches against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, culminating in the country’s national elections, according to a new report.
The report, published on Monday by the research group based in Washington, India Hate Lab, documented 1,165 of these cases last year, adding that politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Minister of the Interior Amit Shah were Among the most common suppliers of hatred speeches.
Muslims were the most targeted, with 98.5% of the recorded cases of hate speeches against them.
The report indicates that most of the events in hatred speeches took place in states governed by Modi’s party or a greater alliance.
The BBC asked for comments on the India Hate Lab report from several spokesperson for the Hindu Nationalist Party of Modi Bharatiya Janata (BJP).
Over the years, BJP leaders have often been accused of having targeted the minority communities of India, in particular Muslims.
The ruling party rejected the allegations of Islamophobia and hate speeches which are leveled to it by groups for the defense of rights and opposition leaders.
On Tuesday, its national spokesperson reiterated this position, telling CNN that the country had a “very strong legal system which is structured to maintain peace, order and ensure non-violence at all costs”.
“Today India does not need any certification of an” anti-Indian report industry “which is managed by interests acquired for damage and work the image of India”, said Jaiveer Shergill.
But the party was accused of having used hatred speeches during the heated election campaign last year. The Prime Minister himself was accused of having used a rhetoric of division which attacked the Muslims. In May, the India electoral commission also asked the party to suppress a social media position that opposition leaders declared “demonized Muslims”.
According to the India Hate Lab report, 269 hatred speech bodies were reported in May 2024, the highest of the year.
Christians were also targeted by hatred speech, but to a lesser extent that Muslims, the report indicates.
Rights defense groups have often declared that minorities, in particular Muslims, have been faced with increased discrimination and attacks after the government of Modi came to power in 2014. The BJP denied these allegations several times .
The laboratory report indicates that hate speech was particularly observed during political rallies, religious processions, protest marches and cultural gatherings. Most of these events – 931 or 79.9% – took place in states where the BJP has directly governed or governed in coalition.
Three authorities at the BJP – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh – have represented almost half of the total hatred events recorded in 2024, laboratory data showed.
The ruling party was also the organizer of 340 events of this type in 2024, an increase of 580% compared to the previous year.
“The models of hate speech in 2024 also revealed a deeply alarming increase in dangerous discourse compared to 2023, political leaders and religious personalities openly encouraging violence against Muslims,” said the report.
“This included calls for outright violence, calls for arms, the economic boycott of Muslim companies, the destruction of Muslim residential properties and the seizure or demolition of Muslim religious structures.”
