Inside Story

Can Narendra Modi stop hate speech in India?

RIghts groups say violence against minorities has risen since Narendra Modi became prime minister.

India’s history contains centuries of diversity and coexistence between different groups.

But its present times are marked by violence and hate speech against minorities.

Some politicians, including those with ties to the governing BJP party, have been accused of inciting and promoting the violence.

Indian and international human rights watchdogs say the frequency of attacks has risen since 2014 – the year Narendra Modi became prime minister.

Some opposition parties accuse Modi of ignoring the issue and have warned him the fallout could devastate India’s cultural diversity.

But will Modi act?

Presenter: Kim Vinell

Guests:

Sudhanshu Mittal – Bharatiya Janata Party leader and author of RSS: Building India Through Sewa

Imran Ahmed – Founder & CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate

Saba Naqvi – Independent journalist.