A new report has documented a significant escalation in hate speech targeting religious minorities across India during 2025, a surge researchers directly link to heightened military tensions with neighbouring Pakistan.
Conflict Creates a 'Perfect Storm' for Hate
According to findings from the India Hate Lab (IHL), a project of the Washington DC-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate, at least 1,318 hate speech events aimed at Muslims and Christians were recorded last year. This marks an average of four incidents daily and represents a 13 per cent increase from 2024. The figure is nearly double the number documented in 2023.
Researchers identified a concentrated spike in late April and early May, immediately following a deadly terror attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22 April. India blamed Pakistan for harbouring the attackers, leading to retaliatory air strikes and intense border clashes. In the 16-day period after the attack, 98 in-person hate speech events were logged nationwide, indicating coordinated mobilisation during the crisis.
Eviane Leidig, executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, stated that tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours created a "perfect storm for mobilising activities." She explained that external conflicts often provide a justification for attacks on internal minority communities, which are then framed as supporting a nationalist cause.
Political Geography of Hate Speech
The report found a stark geographical and political pattern in the distribution of incidents. Nearly nine in ten recorded events took place in states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This constitutes 88 per cent of all incidents, a 25 per cent rise from the previous year in BJP-ruled areas.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number with 266 incidents, followed by Maharashtra (193), Madhya Pradesh (172), Uttarakhand (155), and the national capital Delhi (76). In contrast, opposition-ruled states saw a 34 per cent decline in such events.
Leidig suggested the high numbers in BJP states result from both top-down rhetoric and emboldened grassroots mobilisation. Pawan Khera, a spokesperson for the opposition Congress party, argued the report likely "captures only a fraction of the truth" and accused the BJP of fostering a pattern of "political patronage and institutional silence."
Alarming Trends and Dangerous Rhetoric
Analysts expressed particular concern that the surge occurred in a non-election year, suggesting hate speech has become normalised beyond campaign cycles. April was the most volatile month, with 158 incidents, many occurring during Ram Navami processions after the Pahalgam attack.
The content of the speeches was notably severe:
- Nearly half promoted conspiracy theories like "love jihad" and "population jihad," portraying minorities as existential threats.
- Almost a quarter contained explicit calls for violence, with over 130 including direct calls to arms.
- More than 270 speeches demanded the removal or destruction of mosques, notably the Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah sites.
- Widespread dehumanising language described minorities as "termites" and "parasites."
Maharashtra recorded the highest proportion of high-risk speeches, with nearly 40 per cent involving explicit incitement to violence. The report noted the involvement of organised right-wing groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in over a fifth of incidents, and highlighted that events often occurred with police presence or protection.
The report also documented a sharp rise in hostility towards India's Christian community, including vandalism of churches and disruptions to Christmas celebrations. Social media platforms, primarily Facebook, played a central role in amplifying the hateful content, with researchers criticising the platforms' failure to consistently enforce their own guidelines.
Leidig concluded that the intertwining of hate, conspiracy theories, and disinformation has created a deeply concerning "perfect storm," legitimising violence and social ostracisation against minority groups.
