The speech against the minority of the minority increased 74% in 2024, the report says

Examples of hatred speech against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, maximum during national elections in the country, according to a new report.

The report, published on Monday by a research group based in Washington India Hate Lab, documented 1,165 such cases last year, adding that politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Native Minister Amit Shah were among the most common hate speech suppliers.

Muslims were the most targeted, with 98.5% of the recorded cases of hate speech directed against them.

The report says that most of the events on which hate speech took place in countries managed by Modi’s party or a larger alliance.

The BBC requested a comment on the Hate Laboratory Report in India from several spokespersons of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata (BJP).

Over the years, BJP leaders are often accused of targeting Indian minority communities, especially Muslims.

The ruling party rejected the allegations of Islamophobia and hate speech that leveled on it with groups of rights and leaders of the opposition.

On Tuesday, his national spokesman repeated this view, saying to CNN that the country had a “very strong legal system that was structured to maintain peace, order and secure non-violence at all costs”.

“Today’s India does not need any certification from any” anti-industry industry “that manages the interests of the prejudices and image of India,” ” Said Jaiveer Shergill.

But the party was accused of using hatred speech during a tumultuous election campaign last year. The Prime Minister himself is charged with use the division of rhetoric That attacked Muslims. In May, the Indian Election Commission also asked the party to remove the post on social media for which opposition leaders said “demonized Muslims”.

According to the Indian Hate Laboratory Laboratory, 269 cases of hatred speech were reported in May 2024, the highest in the year.

Christians were also targeted by hate speech, but to a lesser extent than Muslims, according to a report.

Rights groups often said that minorities, especially Muslims, faced increased discrimination and attacks after Modi’s government came to power in 2014. BJP repeatedly denied these allegations.

The laboratory report states that he has speech of hatred in particular at political conferences, religious processions, protest marches and cultural gatherings. Most of these events – 931 or 79.9% – took place in countries where the BJP directly managed or ruled in the coalition.

Three countries demolished in BJP – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh – made almost half of the total hate speech recorded in 2024, the laboratory data showed.

The ruling party was also the organizer for 340 such events in 2024, which is a 580% increase compared to the previous year.

“Hate speech patterns 2024 also discovered a deep alarming increase in dangerous speech compared to 2023, and political leaders and religious figures openly encouraged violence against Muslims,” ​​the report said.

“This included calls to direct violence, calls for weapons, the economic boycott of Muslim affairs, destruction of Muslim housing properties and deprived or demolished by Muslim religious structures.”