Maharashtra Election Results Signal Potential Rise in Hate Speech and Targeted Attacks on Religious Minorities
On November 23, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance secured a resounding victory in the Maharashtra state elections, securing 235 of the 288 assembly seats. The victory of the NDA alliance signals a significant achievement for the BJP as the party suffered substantial losses in the state during the 2024 parliamentary […]
India Hate Lab Brief: Dangerous Rise of Anti-Muslim Hate Speech in India’s Elections
As Indians take to the polling booths for the world’s largest elections, the India Hate Lab has noted a discernable rise in anti-Muslim hate speeches at election rallies. This was most concerningly and illustratively showcased in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign speech in Rajasthan state on April 21. “When they (the Congress) were in power, […]
Unraveling the Web: Hate Speech, Disinformation, Weaponization of History and Role of Mainstream Media
By Deeksha Udupa Apoorvanand Jha is a professor of Hindi at the University of Delhi. A well-known political commentator, he is also a columnist in leading newspapers, magazines, and news websites, writing broadly on education, culture, communalism, violence, and human rights issues. In this interview, Professor Apoorvanand shares his insights into the current landscape of […]
Hate Speech Events in India— Report 2023
Executive Summary In 2023, India Hate Lab (IHL) documented 668 hate speech events targeting Muslims. Similarly, IHL recorded 255 of the events in the first half of 2023, while the number rose to 413 events in the second half of the year, a 62% increase. 498 (75%) of the events took place in Bharatiya Janata […]
Hate Speech Events in India— Half-Yearly Report 2023
By Raqib Hameed Naik, Aarushi Srivastava and Abhyudaya Tyagi This report aims to document all verified instances of hate speech events organized by Hindu far-right groups against India’s Muslim minorities in the first half of 2023. While India lacks an official definition of hate speech, we adopt the United Nations framework, which characterizes hate speech […]