A Washington DC-based group, India Hate Lab, focusing on documenting hate speech against religious minorities in India, has issued a report that highlights a significant rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric throughout the nation.

The 'Hate Speech Events in India' report recorded an astonishing 668 events of hate speech aimed at Muslims in 2023, revealing a 62% surge in such incidents in the latter half of the year. This increase notably correlated with the period of political campaigning and elections in key states, peaking from August to November.

The analysis found an average of nearly two incidents of anti-Muslim hate speech each day in 2023, with a concerning 75% of these events occurring in states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This detail underscores a troubling trend within the socio-political environment of these regions.

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh were identified as the states with the highest number of hate speech incidents, accounting for 43% of the total reported events. These states, which are significant for their large voter populations, are all under BJP administration.

The prevalence of hate speech was not limited to larger states; smaller regions like Haryana and Uttarakhand also experienced a rise in anti-Muslim incidents, suggesting a broader issue of growing intolerance across different areas.

The report pointed out that 63% of the hate speech incidents involved Islamophobic conspiracy theories, such as "love jihad," "land jihad," "halal jihad," and "population jihad." These baseless theories present Muslims as a societal threat, further inflaming tensions.

It also highlighted the use of international conflicts, such as the Hamas attack on southern Israel and the subsequent war on Gaza, to incite anti-Muslim sentiment in India. From October 7 to December 31, 2023, one in five hate speech incidents made reference to these conflicts, illustrating how global issues are being leveraged to propagate domestic hate.

Notable figures like Pravin Togadia, founder of the Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad, and BJP leader Kapil Mishra were cited for their part in stoking these flames with their comments linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to internal matters in India.

In response, Amnesty International has urged Indian authorities to act decisively against hate speech and discrimination, promoting equality. Aakar Patel of Amnesty International India highlighted the critical need to curb the escalation of violence-promoting rhetoric against minorities.

This report emerges as India approaches its national elections, raising alarms over the potential misuse of hate speech to influence voter sentiment. It calls for a concerted effort to challenge hate and maintain the nation's foundational values of tolerance and diversity.

Simultaneously, the Indian government has faced international scrutiny for its actions against hate-crime monitoring websites, sparking a debate on the state of free expression and the right to information in the country.

(Inputs from Media reports)