Instances of hate speech against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, peaking during the country's national elections, according to a new report. The report, released on Monday by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab,

India’s religious minorities have faced a “staggering” rise in hate speech over the past year, including from top leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report released Monday.

Instances of hate speech against minorities in India such as Muslims increased 74% in 2024, a Washington-based research group said on Monday, with incidents ballooning around last year's national elections.

Surge “deeply intertwined with ideological ambitions of ruling BJP, broader Hindu nationalist movement", US-based think tank says.

Hate speech in India targeting the country's religious minorities saw a "staggering" surge in 2024, a US-based think tank said on Feb. 10. The alarming rise was "deeply intertwined with the ideological ambitions of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the broader Hindu nationalist movement," the India Hate Lab (IHL) said in a report.

It said 98.5 percent of the hate speeches targeted Muslims, with more than two-thirds of them taking place in states controlled by the BJP or its allies, according to the report. More than 450 hate speeches were delivered by leaders of the BJP, with Modi himself responsible for 63 of them, the report said.

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.