Of the 255 select instances of hate speech in the first half of 2023 across 17 states of India, 80% of them took place in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states and Union Territories, says a report by Hindutva Watch. The report noted that seven out of eight states with the highest hate speech events in 2023 are governed by the BJP and its coalition partners, with 70% of the events taking place in states heading for elections in the coming year.