Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath topped the list in 2024 with 86 hate speeches—7.4 percent of the total—averaging one every four days in a state with 40 million Muslims
Published Apr 17, 2025 | 3:52 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 17, 2025 | 4:47 PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government of Uttar Pradesh, at Lucknow on March 19, 2017. The Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Kalraj Mishra, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries are also seen.
Synopsis: A 2024 report by India Hate Lab reveals that political leaders, mainly from the ruling BJP, delivered 452 of 1,165 recorded hate speeches—marking a 352 percent rise from 2023. Nearly 40 percent of these speeches came from politicians, with anti-minority rhetoric peaking during election periods, highlighting the growing role of political figures in spreading communal polarisation
Political leaders, particularly from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were responsible for the majority of hate speeches recorded in India during 2024, according to a report by India Hate Lab (IHL).
The report documents a sharp rise in anti-minority rhetoric, especially around key election periods.
Out of 1,165 hate speeches recorded at public events throughout the year, 462 (nearly 40 percent) were delivered by political figures.
Among them, BJP leaders were responsible for a staggering 452 instances — a 352 percent increase from the 100 speeches linked to the party in 2023.
Speeches by T Raja Singh, a BJP MLA from Telangana, too, figured on IHL list.
Key political figures who delivered most hate speeches in India in 2024!
Out of the documented 1,165 hate speeches at in-person events, 462 speeches (39.7%) were delivered by politicians, highlighting the direct role of political figures in spreading anti-minority rhetoric. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/LeUHy5Dr04
— India Hate Lab (@indiahatelab) April 17, 2025
IHL is a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, DC. Its objective is to document, analyse and study hate speech, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that target India’s religious minorities, both in the digital realm and in offline spaces.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emerged as the most prolific political figure associated with hate speech in 2024.
He delivered 86 such speeches, representing 7.4 percent of the total incidents documented. With Uttar Pradesh home to over 241 million people, including 40 million Muslims, Adityanath averaged one hate speech every four days.
IHL noted that all of Adityanath’s speeches occurred during the April–June general elections and the November state elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where he served as a star campaigner for the BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranked second, with 63 hate speeches delivered between 21 April and 30 May, 2024. His speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, on 21 April drew particular attention for its incendiary content.
Throughout the election season, Modi repeatedly accused opposition parties of plotting to confiscate Hindu wealth and redistribute it to their Muslim “vote bank,” using terms like “vote jihad” to fuel communal fears.
“I had heard of land jihad and love jihad, but now I am concerned about vote jihad,” Modi said in a speech on 2 May in Anand, Gujarat — a phrase that framed Muslim political participation as a threat to Hindus.
Home Minister Amit Shah, responsible for enforcing law and order, ranked third with 58 hate speeches — many delivered during the same election periods.
Instead of countering hate speech, Shah echoed the communal rhetoric of his party colleagues, frequently targeting Muslim communities with inflammatory claims.
Prominent religious figures played a key role in spreading hate speech in 2024, according to India Hate Lab. Leading the list was Mahant Raju Das of Ayodhya’s Hanuman Garhi Temple, with 14 recorded incidents, followed by Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati with 12.
Sadhvi Saraswati and Swami Sachidanand delivered eight each, while Madhuram Sharan Shiva and Swami Darshan Bharti delivered four apiece. Other contributors included Kalicharan Maharaj, Dhirendra Shastri, and Acharya Ramswaroopbhramchari (three each), and Swami Prabhodanand Giri and Swami Dipankar (two each), highlighting the growing influence of religious leaders in promoting anti-minority rhetoric.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ranked fourth, delivering 36 hate speeches in which he repeatedly pushed the “land jihad” conspiracy theory — alleging that Muslims are forcibly taking over Hindu lands.
Other BJP figures prominently named in the report include:
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
