NEW DELHI, India, Feb 11: India’s religious minorities have experienced a “staggering” increase in hate speech over the past year, with a significant rise in incidents targeting Muslims and Christians, according to a report released Monday.
The report, from the Washington-based research group India Hate Lab, found that hate speech incidents aimed at Muslim and Christian minorities surged to 1,165 in 2024, up from 668 in the previous year, marking a 74% increase. The vast majority of these incidents, about 98%, targeted Muslims, either exclusively or alongside Christians.