More than 1,300 in-person hate speech incidents targeting religious minorities, mainly Muslims and Christians, were recorded across India in 2025, according to a report released by the India Hate Lab.

The report documented 1,318 hate speech events across 21 states and Union Territories, marking a 13% rise from 2024 and nearly double the number recorded in 2023. India Hate Lab is a project of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a U.S.-based research group.

Nearly all the incidents — about 98% — targeted Muslims, either exclusively or alongside Christians, the report said. Hate speech directed at Christians was recorded in 162 cases, a 41% increase from the previous year.

According to the findings, around 88% of the incidents occurred in states and Union Territories governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its allies. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi reported the highest number of incidents, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total.

By contrast, states ruled by opposition parties recorded 154 hate speech events in 2025, down 34% from the previous year, the report said.

The study identified the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal as the most frequent organisers, linked to more than one-fifth of the incidents. Over 160 organisations and informal groups were named as organisers or co-organisers.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was cited as the individual linked to the highest number of hate speeches, followed by Hindu nationalist leader Pravin Togadia and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay.

The report said many speeches included conspiracy theories such as “love jihad” and “land jihad,” while more than 300 contained explicit calls for violence. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of such speeches.

Social media played a major role in spreading the content, with videos from most events first shared on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, the report said.

Researchers said hate speech levels remained consistently high throughout the year, rather than spiking only during elections, pointing to what they described as sustained ground-level mobilisation by Hindu nationalist groups.

The BJP has not responded to requests for comment on the report.