NEW DELHI — A detailed new report released by the India Hate Lab, a research initiative of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), reveals a notable rise in in-person hate speech events targeting religious minorities in India during 2025. According to the findings, 1,318 hate speech incidents were documented across the country — a 13 per cent increase from the previous year — with Muslims bearing the overwhelming majority of the rhetoric.

The annual analysis, published on January 13, 2026, catalogues speeches, rallies, protest events and public gatherings that included inflammatory language, conspiracy theories and calls for discrimination or violence against religious minorities. Nearly 98 per cent of the recorded incidents involved anti-Muslim rhetoric — either alone or in combination with anti-Christian content — underscoring deepening communal polarisation.

Scope and Nature of Hate Speech

Most incidents documented in the report occurred in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its allied National Democratic Alliance (NDA), accounting for about 88 per cent of total events. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the National Capital Territory of Delhi together accounted for around two-thirds of the nationwide tally, reflecting regional concentrations of inflammatory public discourse.

Researchers classified hate speech under the United Nations’ definition, which includes dehumanisation, exclusionary language, conspiracy theories and direct calls for discriminatory action. Many incidents involved conspiracy narratives such as “love jihad,” “land jihad” and “population jihad,” which have been used in political contexts to depict Muslim communities as threatening to majority groups.

The report also logs a rise in violent rhetoric, with hundreds of speeches containing explicit calls for violence and, in some cases, praise or encouragement of action against minority communities or their places of worship. Such content featured in speeches by organised groups, political figures and religious actors at public events.

Political and Social Context

Independent media outlets and global news organisations have noted that increased hate speech incidents are partly driven by India’s evolving political landscape. Analysts say the political strategy of majoritarian mobilisation — particularly in the run-up to high-stakes regional elections — has helped normalise exclusionary narratives in public forums. Critics argue that such rhetoric both fuels and reflects broader social tensions between religious communities.

Civil liberties advocates contend that rising hate speech harms social cohesion and undermines constitutional protections for freedom of religion, equality before the law and non-discrimination. They urge stronger enforcement of existing laws against hate speech and bias-motivated advocacy, and point to the need for constructive engagement among communities to counter divisive messaging.

Impact on Minorities

For Muslim and Christian communities in India — both among the country’s largest religious minorities — sustained exposure to inflammatory rhetoric raises concerns about safety and social inclusion. Rights groups emphasise that hate speech often creates an environment that can precede or legitimise physical violence and discriminatory policies, even when such actions are not explicitly called for in public forums.

The report’s release has prompted responses from civil society organisations calling for urgent policy measures to address hate speech proliferation, more robust protections for minorities, and legal accountability for figures who incite hatred in public life.