Anti-minority hate surges across India under BJP government, US study finds

ISLAMABAD: Hate speech and incitement against religious minorities in India escalated sharply in 2025, with Muslims and Christians overwhelmingly targeted in public gatherings, political rallies, and religious processions, according to a new study by the United States–based Center for the Study of Organized Hate.

The report documented 1,318 in-person hate speech incidents across India in 2025, marking a 13% increase from 2024 and nearly doubling the number recorded in 2023.

Researchers said minorities were subjected to an average of four hate speech incidents per day, underscoring what they described as the normalization of extremist rhetoric in public life.

“Hate Lab (IHL) documented 1,318 hate speech events targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, in 2025 across 21 states, one union territory, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi,” the report stated.

States governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), either directly or through coalition arrangements, accounted for 88% of all recorded incidents, the study found. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi emerged as the most affected regions, with hundreds of speeches explicitly demonizing minorities.

Muslims were targeted in 98% of the incidents, while anti-Christian hate speech rose by 41% compared to 2024. The report also recorded 120 instances of calls for economic and social boycotts of minorities and more than 270 appeals to demolish or remove mosques and churches, including prominent religious sites in Uttar Pradesh.

The escalation extended beyond rhetoric. Researchers documented 308 speeches that openly encouraged violence against minorities and 136 instances calling for Hindus to arm themselves against what speakers described as “perceived threats.”

The study warned that digital platforms played a central role in amplifying hate. More than 1,200 speeches were livestreamed or uploaded to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X, often reaching nationwide audiences within minutes.

The report criticized technology companies for what it called “systemic failure” to enforce their own hate speech policies.

Researchers concluded that the surge reflects more than isolated extremism. They warned that the growing frequency and acceptance of hate speech points to a deliberate political strategy.

The report described 2025 as “a new and dangerous phase” in which anti-minority rhetoric has become “fully embedded into India’s political and social landscape,” serving to polarize society and justify discriminatory policies.

Minorities under attack nationwide

Beyond hate speech, minority communities faced repeated incidents of violence and discrimination. In Karnataka, more than 200 Muslim homes were reportedly demolished in Bengaluru’s Waseem Layout and Fakir Colony, displacing families during a government-led operation.

In Bihar, a Muslim clothes vendor, Athar Hussain, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Nawada district after being questioned about his religious identity. Police later detained four suspects following a complaint filed by his wife. In a separate incident at the Bihar chief minister’s secretariat, media reports said a Muslim woman’s hijab was forcibly removed during an official appointment ceremony.

Christian communities also reported growing intimidation. During the Christmas season, coordinated attempts were reported to disrupt celebrations in several regions. In Raipur, Chhattisgarh, a mob of 40 to 50 men reportedly entered a shopping mall, removed Christmas decorations, questioned visitors about their religion, and vandalized property.

The report warned that without accountability and political restraint, India’s minorities face an increasingly hostile environment where hate speech, violence, and state inaction reinforce one another under the guise of nationalism.