Instances of hate speech against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, peaking during the country's national elections, according to a new report.

India’s religious minorities have faced a “staggering” rise in hate speech over the past year, including from top leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report released Monday.

Instances of hate speech against minorities in India such as Muslims increased 74% in 2024, a Washington-based research group said on Monday, with incidents ballooning around last year's national elections.

The most populous nation in the world, India, experienced an alarming rise in hate speech during 2024.According to CNN, a new report by a Washington-based research group revealed that the religious minorities of India face

The country recorded 1,165 hate speech events last year, a 74.4 per cent increase from 2023, the report by India Hate Lab said. As many as 98.5 per cent of these events targeted Muslims, either explicitly or in combination with Christians, while almost 10 per cent targeted Christians in some capacity.

Surge “deeply intertwined with ideological ambitions of ruling BJP, broader Hindu nationalist movement", US-based think tank says.

By Hera Rizwan Instances of hate speech against minorities in India such as Muslims increased 74% in 2024, a Washington-based research group said on Monday, with incidents ballooning around last year's national elections.