A large majority of these incidents occurred in states governed by the Hindu right-wing nationalist BJP, according to a report published this week by the India Hate Lab (IHL), a research group based in Washington, DC.
The frequency of hate speech peaked from August to November last year – a period that coincided with political campaigning and voting phases in four key state elections.
India is heading for a general election starting next month, with Mr Modi seeking a rare third term in power.