WASHINGTON: Cases of anti-Muslim hate speech more than doubled in India in 2023 amid allegations of Islamophobic tendencies against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a US based research group said.
In a report, the group ‘India Hate Lab’ said that the proliferation of hate speech in India is mainly concerning given its clear connection to the increase in communal violence against minorities. ‘India Hate Lab’ gathered around 668 hate speech incidents targeting Muslim population in India in last year, around 255 of which reported in the first half of the year while 413 took place in the last six months of 2023, the research group stated.
More than 75% of the incidents reported in states governed by the Hindu nationalist BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the report maintained. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh accounted for the most incidents of hate speech.
Alarming Surge in anti-Muslim Hate Speech in Modi-ruled India: Study
Between October 7 and December 31, there were around 41 incidents of hate speech against Muslims in India. The research group stated that it also used the United Nations’ definition of hate speech towards an individual or group based on attributes including ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender or race.
Rights groups have also disclosed mistreatment of Muslims under Modi’s government, who became PM in 2014 and is widely expected to retain in office after the 2024 polls. They also point to a 2019 citizenship law that the UN human rights office termed “fundamentally discriminatory;” an anti-conversion law that challenges the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief; and the 2019 revoking of Muslim majority Kashmir’s special status.
There has also been destruction of Muslim properties in the name of eradicating illegal construction and a ban on wearing the hijab in educational institutions in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state.
India Hate Lab stated it tracked online activity of Hindu nationalist groups, verified videos of hate speech posted on different platforms of social media and also compiled data of isolated incidents reported by Indian press and media.
