Report: Anti-Muslim Hate Speech in India Increases by 62% in Second Half of 2023, Linked to Israel-Gaza Conflict

A research group based in Washington revealed a 62% increase in anti-Muslim hate speech in India during the second half of 2023, compared to the first six months. The report linked the surge to the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governed states accounted for 75% of the 668 documented hate speech incidents. The period between October 7 and December 31 saw 41 hate speech incidents targeting Indian Muslims mentioning the Israel-Gaza conflict, which made up about 20% of the hate speech in the last three months of 2023. Critics have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of mistreating Muslims, citing various policies and actions. The Indian embassy in Washington and India's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comments. The research group, India Hate Lab, reported tracking online activities of Hindu nationalist groups, verifying hate speech videos on social media, and compiling data from isolated incidents reported by Indian media.