Let Me Explain: How hate speeches in India are ‘politically sanctioned’

Throughout the week while the Indian media, political class, and legal authorities remained fixated on a distasteful joke, they showed little concern over the rising incidents of hate speech in the country.

According to a report by Washington-based research group, India Hate Lab, India recorded an increase of 74.4 percent in hate speech incidents in 2024. Leading the charge are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath among other leaders from the ruling party. The report notes that hate speeches are “strategic, deliberate,” and at times, “even politically sanctioned.”

In this week’s Let Me Explain, Pooja Prasanna dissects the nature of these hate speeches which often promote Islamophobic conspiracy theories.  She also looks at which states have recorded the most incidents and how social media platforms have played a significant role in the dissemination of hateful content. 

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