Hate speech targeting religious minorities surged across India in the aftermath of the country’s border conflict with Pakistan last year, according to a new report by an American think tank.
Researchers documented a sharp rise in rallies and speeches portraying Muslims as “internal enemies” in 2025, suggesting external security crises were utilised to justify attacks against India’s own minority communities.
This link was especially evident after a terror attack targeting Indian tourists in the Kashmiri village of Pahalgam on 22 April, in which 26 people were killed. India accused Pakistan of harbouring the gunmen who carried out the attack, and responded by launching air strikes against targets inside Pakistan. Fierce clashes at the border and between the two countries’ air forces followed, ending in a ceasefire agreement after four days.