A report released recently tracked the past one year and rising hate crimes in India during the first year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. The report has documented nearly 950 incidents, affecting religious minorities—especially Muslims and Christians—bearing the brunt of the violence and hate speech.
The report, jointly compiled by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) and the Quill Foundation, has recorded 947 hate-related incidents from June 7, 2024, to June 7, 2025. These include 602 hate crimes and 345 instances of hate speech, many of them linked to members or affiliates of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Despite the increasing intensity and occurrences, there is no institutional effort to record or document hate crimes,” the report said. It noted that while atrocities against Dalits are tracked under Indian law, no similar mechanism exists for religious minorities.
Muslims were the primary victims, with 1,460 affected in 419 incidents. Christians, while fewer in incident count, accounted for 1,504 victims in 85 attacks. At least 25 Muslims were killed, and 173 incidents involved physical violence.
Recently, the Citizens for Justice & Peace documented 180 such hate attacks post the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Of these 37% were tied to ‘revenge’ against the minority (Muslims). The graphic visualization of this may be seen and read here.
In this new report, hate speech was also recorded to have intensified, with 178 of the 345 incidents attributed to BJP-linked individuals, including Prime Minister Modi and several chief ministers. Two judges and a governor were also reported to have made inflammatory remarks, sparking concern about the institutional normalisation of hate.
Uttar Pradesh topped the list of affected states, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand—all BJP-governed. The report suggests a correlation between election activity and spikes in hate incidents, with inflammatory speeches and violence increasing during campaign periods.
Incidents ranged from mob attacks over cow slaughter allegations to assaults during religious festivals and campaigns targeting interfaith couples and businesses owned by Muslims. In March 2025, 267 Christians were affected during a wave of attacks on churches and prayer meetings.
Children and the elderly persons from the minority have not been not spared. The report documented 32 hate crimes targeting minors and 10 incidents involving senior citizens, most of them Muslims.
Only 13% of hate crimes resulted in formal police complaints (FIRs), highlighting gaps in accountability and justice. “This figure is indicative of the worsening atmosphere Indian Muslims are undergoing and a lag in the criminal justice system,” the authors wrote.
The study warns of the lasting social consequences of unchecked hate and calls for institutional mechanisms to track and combat targeted violence. “Hate crimes and hate speech never occur in isolation,” the report states. “They impact families, communities, and the nation.”
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30 FIRs Registered against Hate Speech and Hate Crimes: DGP, Maharashtra
As the date for the general assembly election approaches, hate crimes in India continue