BJP, Hindutva leaders' hate speech, calls for violence against Muslims, Christians go unpunished: Report
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Hate speech targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, has increasingly become part of India's political discourse, with senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several BJP chief ministers, publicly making statements that vilify minorities, while the apparent failure of law-enforcement agencies to act against them has fostered a climate of impunity.
A new report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) documents how inflammatory rhetoric, calls for violence and threats of social exclusion have become increasingly normalised, seemingly overriding constitutional guarantees and legal safeguards for religious minorities.
The APCR's Hate Speech Tracker, covering January to September 2026, recorded 83 speeches targeting Muslims and Christians by 57 individuals across at least 16 states. Thirty-three of these speeches were delivered by people holding public office, including the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and four chief ministers. Yet, only six resulted in police complaints being registered as FIRs, and just one led to an arrest.
Among the most prominent figures named was Modi, who spoke of 'infiltrators' changing Bengal's demography during a rally in Kolkata on 14 March. Amit Shah, meanwhile, promised twice during March, in West Bengal and Assam, to remove 'infiltrators' from the country.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made four speeches between March and May, threatening to 'break the backbone' of Muslims, whom he referred to as 'Miyas', if the BJP returned to power. He also defended an AI-generated video depicting him shooting at Muslims. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a speech between May and September, referred to Muslims as 'followers of Babur and Aurangzeb' who were 'again spewing poison in society'.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who made two speeches and issued an order concerning Bakrid prayers, appeared to wear his notoriety as a badge of honour. Addressing an audience on Republic Day, he remarked: 'An American NGO has put me at number one for the most hate speeches.' The APCR report said such statements sent a message to others about what was permissible.
Other BJP leaders were equally explicit. Maharashtra minister and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane made nine speeches and an Eid statement between March and September, declaring: 'There is no bhaichaara… Whoever believes in this word should go to Pakistan.' Telangana MLA T Raja Singh called Muslims 'insects' during a speech in Surat and subsequently challenged them to 'fight face to face'.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, meanwhile, referred to those responsible for a clash as 'Friday people', while 13 of the 14 people arrested in connection with the incident were Muslims.
The report also documented four speeches targeting Christians, primarily over allegations of religious conversion. In September, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal warned Christian communities that conversions would not be permitted.
The findings extend beyond political rhetoric. Hindutva organisations and religious leaders, including the VHP, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Raksha Dal, accounted for 25 speeches. Altogether, 37 of the 83 speeches contained calls for violence or urged Hindus to arm themselves.
A particularly disturbing example emerged from Uttam Nagar in west Delhi, where APCR examined 110 video clips documenting an anti-Muslim campaign following a neighbourhood clash during Holi. Sixty clips demanded that Muslims be killed, shot or subjected to police 'encounters', while speakers openly called for their homes and mosques to be demolished.
Despite the gravity of these threats, Delhi Police registered no FIRs against the speakers. Across the country, the failure to act against prominent perpetrators has reinforced what APCR describes as a cycle of impunity, in which hate speech increasingly serves as an instrument of political mobilisation and intimidation.
