74% rise in anti-minority hate speech in India in 2024: Study
Research group India Hate Lab found that six of the 10 most frequent purveyors of hate speech were politicians, led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath.
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Anti-minority hate speech in India rose by 74.4% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to a study published on Monday by Washington DC-based research group India Hate Lab.
The study, Social Media and Hate Speech in India, documented 1,165 instances of hate speech targeting religious minorities, primarily Muslims and Christians, in the country last year.
“This marks a 74.4% increase from 2023, when 668 such incidents were recorded,” it added. “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).”
As per the report, six of the 10 most frequent purveyors of hate speech were politicians, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union 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,” it added.
The study analysed the role of social media platforms in the dissemination and amplification of verified in-person hate speech events in India in 2024, covering various types of public gatherings, namely political rallies, electoral campaign events, religious processions and protest marches.
It said that 931, or 79.9%, events where hate speech was...
