India in 2024 saw a 74% rise in anti-minority hate speeches than in 2023, according to Washington-based, non-partisan research group India Hate Lab. Hate speech is a parasite which, if not weeded out, will further damage India’s secular fabric. The challenge, as observed by the Supreme Court in 2023, is in implementing existing verdicts – and that is where the Union and various state governments have fallen short.
The ‘Report 2024: Hate speech events in India’ notes that out of the 1,165 hate speeches documented in 2024, close to 80% took place in states either ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or by its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). About 32% of all hate speeches in 2024 were delivered while the Model Code of Conduct was in effect (between March 16 and June 1), and BJP leaders topped the list of hate mongers.