A report by the India Hate Lab (IHL) has documented 64 in-person hate speech events held across nine Indian states and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) between April 22 and May 2, with Maharashtra recording the highest number, The News reported, citing Indian media.
These incidents occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and were part of what the report described as a coordinated nationwide campaign of hate and intimidation targeting Muslims, spearheaded by Hindu far-right groups.
The IHL report noted that most of the rallies were organised by Hindu nationalist organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD), Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Sakal Hindu Samaj, Hindu Rashtra Sena, and the Hindu Raksha Dal.
“These groups are exploiting the tragedy to inflame communal tensions and mobilise calls for violence, social exclusion, and economic boycotts,” stated the report.
Among the states, Maharashtra recorded the highest number with 17 incidents, followed by Uttar Pradesh (13), Uttarakhand (6), Haryana (6), Rajasthan (5), Madhya Pradesh (5), Himachal Pradesh (5), Bihar (4), and Chhattisgarh (2).
The report states that speakers at these events routinely used dehumanising language, referring to Muslims as “green snakes”, “keede” (insects), and “mad dogs.” It also notes that in many instances, speakers incited violence and issued threats to expel Muslims from localities.
According to the report, between April 23 and 29, multiple hate speech events took place across states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Far-right figures, including BJP MLA Nandkishor Gurjar and members of Hindu nationalist groups, used dehumanising slurs for Muslims, called for their economic and social boycott, incited violence, and urged Hindus to arm themselves.
In several rallies, speakers threatened to expel Muslims and spread conspiracy theories linking them to Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The report noted that the wave of hate speech has been accompanied by a troubling rise in hate crimes and violence targeting Muslims —particularly Kashmiris — citing incidents such as the assault and arson of Muslim street vendors in Haryana, attacks on Kashmiri shawl sellers, and threats by a BJP leader in Uttarakhand, as well as the brutal axe attack on a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh, where the assailant reportedly shouted, “Twenty-six were killed; twenty-six of yours will die too.”
IHL researchers have observed that most of these in-person hate speech events were either live-streamed or recorded and uploaded to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or X, significantly amplifying their impact and extending their reach to millions of viewers.
“The rapid spread of this content demonstrates the dangerous connection between online hate ecosystems and offline violence,” they said.
